Life Sentence
by Moonlight and Mischief
Summary: “Sir Elliot Walter O’Hara Hellsing,” she intoned, “I would have preferred never to have slept. It is my will to serve the Hellsing Institute and serve you I shall. Give me orders and I shall obey.” Sequel to Subjugation
1. ‘black orchid’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

* * *

**~x~**

'**black orchid'**

**~x~**

Subject name: Unverified

Gender: Female

Race: unverified, believed Caucasian

Eyes: unknown

Height: unverified, presumed between 5' to 5'5"

Age: unverified, suggested between 18-20 years

Weight: unknown, presumed between 120-130 lbs.

Condition: Subject is chained to wall, hands above head, in a seated position, face and skin hollowed giving the appearance of partial decomposition, appears asleep and does not respond to touch or sound.

Elliot stared down at the dossier in his hand, hardly noticing the blood smudge from the cut on his thumb, before looking once more to the figure bound to the wall.

"How long is this supposed to take?"

He glanced over to the girl beside him. "'Cause I've done this before."

She rolled her eyes. "It's been almost five minutes. Hey, what are you looking at?"

"The preliminary report from the exploratory mission last week."

"Anything interesting?"

"Not a thing."

She turned her violet eyes back towards the figure on the wall. "You sure you weren't supposed to say anything?"

"Yes."

Calculating eyes surveyed the scene before a hand reached out to grab his arm.

"Winter! What are you doing?"

His protest went on silent ears as she proceeded to unbutton his sleeve and roll it up. When she finished, she drug him closer to the chained figure and stretched his arm out to it.

"I don't think," Winter commented, drawing a blade from somewhere on her person, "that you donated enough blood." Before he could pull away, she cut a line into his flesh."

"Ow! Jesus!"

"Stop being a pansy and hold it to her."

With a short glare, he obliged, holding the cut but a few inches from the vampire's mouth. A second passed, then another before he felt the cool sensation of a tongue on his newly opened wound. Just barely, he managed to resist the instinct to flinch away and instead held in place while the vampire latched on to the wound.

As they watched, her flesh rapidly regenerated into full youth. She pulled her mouth away, jerking her hands in a violent action to free herself from her bindings. Elliot stepped back a few feet, watching her intently. The vampire leaned forward, bringing her legs under her until she knelt on one knee before the blonde youth.

"Master."

"Um, what's your name?"

"Seras Victoria."

"Miss Victoria, welcome back to Hellsing."

Finally, she lifted her head and he gasped when his eyes met her crimson gaze.

"Yes, master."

**~x~**

Elliot couldn't help but watch as the blonde vampire approached the other, still bound to the wall. She had been awoken but ten minutes before, listening intently as he introduced Winter and himself and updated her on some of what had been happening since they were sealed more than a century before, including the moving of Hellsing headquarters to the Tower some years before.

During the entire discussion her face had remained emotionless, void of every thing except the intelligence in her eyes that hinted at more than comprehension, perhaps, even, determination. She had asked no questions of him until the end, apparently accepting his promise of a more detailed history when they returned to HQ, and, even then, her question was succinct and to the point.

"Are you going to wake him as well?"

Her voice had held no expectations, nor curiosity. The total lack of inflection made him hesitate for a moment before shaking his head slightly.

"Not right now. I'm hoping it won't be necessary. Why? Do you think we should?"

She gave him a long look, locking gazes with him for long enough to make him feel uncomfortable, before answering.

"He is not the most manageable individual, sir. Even under orders, you may not be able to control him."

"Oh, uh, okay then. We'll save him until a more desperate situation then."

"Yes, sir."

And, with that, she turned form him, taking her eyes from him for the first time since she had looked up. The lack of inspection was a physical relief and he nearly jumped when Winter patted him on the back in amused sympathy.

They both watched her crouch down before the chained figure on the floor but it wasn't until she reached forward to pull the hair from its face to revel the haggard features, that he realized she hadn't really answered his question. She had told him a fact about the other vampire, but hadn't given an opinion.

He pondered on the fact until she stood once more and faced him, features as expressionless as before. She walked to them, determination resounding in her steps. It was the only sign of personality that she had shown so far and he unconsciously let out a breath in relief. When she reached him, she asked her first question of the Institute.

"How are you for weapons?"

**~x~**

When he was younger, his father had made a day of watching the old science-fiction movies of years past. Most of them depicted some sort of new age weaponry with lasers or some such. He knew that Miss Victoria had probably grown up watching those movies and wondered, briefly, if she was disappointed at the fact that guns hadn't actually changed all that much.

As if reading his thoughts, she glanced over her shoulder at him as they walked deeper into the dungeon area.

"Nothing will ever be better for killing vampires and ghouls than silver."

She resumed facing forward again only to stop a few feet later. She turned to face what appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be a completely blank wall. Though he tried, Elliot could find nothing to distinguish it from any other stretch of wall they had passed. Still, after considering it for a minute, she looked at them.

"Master, Miss Shannon, please take my hand."

He glanced at Winter a moment before stepping to the other side of her and taking her hand somewhat hesitantly in his. Winter, on the other hand, shrugged casually and took Miss Victoria's grasp with ease. No sooner had she wrapped her fingers around her hand, did the vampire take a step forward, pulling all three of them through the wall. A feeling like cold water passed over him and he was grateful when they emerged on the other side still dry.

"Wow," Winter gasped in awe, drawing Elliot's attention to the room around them. It appeared to be an armory of sorts.

"All of these are custom designed to exterminate vampires. Most of them can be used by average humans."

"This would be one of the ones that can't, right?" Winter queried from across the room. She was standing in front of something that looked a bit like an anti-aircraft cannon.

"Correct, Miss Shannon. If one of you were to fire it, it would take your arm off."

"Good to know," the younger girl replied.

"Can we take these?" Elliot finally managed, looking at an assortment of handguns.

"They belong to you, master."

"Oh," he murmured, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah. Um, why are they in a room like this?" he asked, looking over to Winter at the sound of a gun cocking.

"Sir Integra thought it would be wise to have a weapons stash that no one could enter without help from me. …Or him."

Elliot smiled. "My great-grandmother was an amazing woman from what I hear."

For the barest instant, he thought her eyes flashed a different color, perhaps blue, but it was gone before he could be sure.

"Yes, Sir Integra was."

She turned from him suddenly and walked up to a case beside the large gun Winter had pointed out earlier. Raising the glass top, she pulled out a silver blade, a little over a foot long, with a slight curve to one side. She looked it over for a moment before pulling out a black belted sleeve. Silently, she slipped the blade into its casing before pending over to strap it onto her thigh.

"Stop staring. It's rude."

Elliot started, looking over to Winter who had come to stand beside him. Her lips were turned up at the corner and her eyes shown with barely concealed amusement.

"I found a gun," she offered excitedly, holding up a silver handgun for his inspection.

"That's impressive. You are entirely too picky."

"You can never be too picky about weapons, master."

The two looked over to the vampire where she stood a few feet away, looking at the firearms herself. Winter grinned at her.

"I like you, Seras."

The vampire glanced over at the girl before looking back at the gun in her hand. "I'm glad, Miss Shannon." She walked to the opposite side of the room from where they were standing and opened a cabinet door, blocking her from view. After a minute, she closed it, carrying an assortment of things in her hand. She put everything down on a nearby case, taking one of the guns and slipping it under her long shirt and into the back waistband of her skirt. Several items went into a bag and the other gun she took in hand, pulling the bag over one shoulder.

"This is for you, master." She held the gun out to him. "It was Sir Integra's."

"T-thank you. Um, what's in the bag," he asked, taking the gun from her.

"Ammo. For your gun, the one Miss Shannon picked out, my own weapon and several rounds that could be fit into regular side arms."

"Oh, okay. If you are ready then?"

"Yes, master."

Silently, she took their hands again and led them through the wall. When they exited, they were not, however, in the hallway. Instead, they stood at the front of the once formidable mansion, now in ruins.

"What happened?"

"There was an attack when I was two. Most of the troops were away. So was my father."

"And your mother?"

"Died in the attack. Winter's, too. Her father saved both of our lives."

"And the vampires?"

"Terminated."

"Good."

She turned away, looking to him for instructions. For a minute, he couldn't speak. Something about the way she looked at him put him off balance. He didn't feel any fear, nor did he think she was making silent judgments about him when she looked at him like that. It was something else.

"Let's go," Winter broke in, exasperation coloring her voice.

"Y-yeah."

With one last look at the ruined mansion, he turned to walk to the waiting car.

**~x~**

In the year 2132, a plague swept through the world. The infection began in the Federated States of Indonesia, started by the ingestion of diseased fish. Once adapted to human biology, the sickness spread like wildfire. In the first month, one hundred died, in the second, a thousand. By the third, it had spread to half the world and in the fourth it was everywhere.

Within a year, half of the population of the world had fallen.

The remaining five billion were in chaos. Pointless arguments erupted, chastising the World Health Organization for not better containing the pandemic, criticizing the emergency services, questioning how to prevent another disease. Every profession in the world had taken a hit. Businesses, military, schools and hospitals were clamoring to bring order to the world again.

And, with everyone's attention elsewhere, the vampires made their move.

**~x~**

"Five nations rose up after the plague. For the most part, they took over existing countries with quiet coups. The United Nations managed to keep it under wraps for the most part. These new vampire nations also tended towards keeping their troubles within their own boundaries, appearing content with the rule of their own countries, not bothering with the outside world around them.

"From what we can tell, most of them have a high number of humans living inside their borders. They are believed to be there voluntarily in most cases."

Elliot paused, looking over to the vampire, attempting to gauge her reaction. Her eyes focused on each of the vampire nations in turn.

"They seem to have gone for countries with deep rooted history."

"Correct, Miss Victoria. For the most part, as far as anyone can tell, they have taken over only to revert back to the ancient ways. Except Japan. They didn't really change much at all."

He shrugged before tuning the projection to the next image. It lit up the darkened room, throwing shadows on the three occupants. Briefly, he wondered if Winter had fallen asleep. She rarely went so long without comment.

"On the coattails of these uprisings, several other countries began to have severe vampire problems. Most of these were countries that were either too big for a quiet overthrow or where the vampires were generally too weak.

"England fell into the second category," he boasted with some pride. "Even after the blow received at the invasion of the Millennium, with the help of yourself and Hellsing, we were able to rise effectively back to power enough to be rid of all strong vampires. Most of what we have found today are new vampires, left over freaks and a new breed of vampire too weak to make ghouls.

"We have been successfully warding most of them off but I'm afraid they are growing in numbers. Approximately five years ago, we began noticing that they were increasing in numbers at an exponential rate. It has been brought up that someone may have tapped into left over Millennium technology to bring about this change.

"Also, our numbers have been diminished a great deal due to an attack last year," Winter chimed in, startling Elliot slightly.

The vampire looked over to the girl for a moment before looking at the numbers projected in light beside him. Her eyes darted over the facts and figures quickly before settling on Elliot.

"Tell me when. Tell me where. I will rid the country of this scum."

"Tomorrow night."

"Yes, master."

**~x~**

"She's amazing."

"Yes, she is."

"Do you think she'll clear out the entire building by herself?"

"Yes, I do believe she will."

"I think I'll ask her to help train the troops."

"They might live longer if you do."

"…I think they are scared shitless of her right now."

"Yes, I do believe they are."

"Why are you grinning?"

"I'd love to try and fight her sometime."

"Down girl."

**~x~**

There were approximately one hundred men and women in the room, staring at the young Hellsing leader. A large portion of them were veterans of the organization, one of them for twenty years even. Others were green recruits, brought in only weeks before. All of them had seen a ghoul, most a vampire. They were all ex-military or ex-police. Most importantly, they were all loyal to Hellsing and its leader.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you are thrilled to hear that I've designed a new training course for all of you. And I do mean all. Sorry, Captain Douglas."

The older man chuckled. "Nae you worry, my boy. I dinna think I'm too old to learn sommat new."

"I will reassure you that you will not be training with Miss Shannon again," he continued, pausing to let the relieved grumbles subside. "However, I cannot say that you have an easier taskmaster ahead."

At this, the door behind him opened to reveal a striking figure with blonde hair pinned up in a neat bun. The woman wore a version of the Hellsing uniform so far unseen with a sleeveless navy uniform shirt brushing the backs of her legs as she walked in, concealing almost all of a black micro-mini skirt but for an opening in the front under her standard issue belt. Her long legs were showcased in black thigh-high stockings above her mid-calf military boots. She was an odd mix of the familiar and the unseen, especially with the strange black gloves she wore to her elbow.

Elliot had to admit, as he looked at her, that she presented a _very_ attractive picture. For a moment, he wondered where she got the blue lensed glasses she wore to cover her eyes, but, with a mental shrug, he turned his attention once more to the now silent troops.

Several of them were looking in unrestrained appreciation, especially at some of her more…obvious attributes. He could almost see the gears in their heads turning as they wondered whether or not she was free game for a date. Almost all of them looked curious, uncertain as to who the new Hellsing member was and unsure as to why she was already being compared to the devilish Winter when she looked even more frail than the other girl.

A small group of them looked on in shear horror, remembering their encounter with her a few nights before on mission.

"Good timing, Miss Victoria. Troops, this is Seras Victoria. She will be in charge of all missions hence forth." She will also be taking Miss Shannon's place as resident Trashman.

At this comment, her eyes flicked over to the younger girl sitting in the corner. Winter wiggled her fingers in hello, a broad grin on her face.

"Sir!"

"Yes, Thompson."

"Miss Victoria is a Vampire."

Elliot smothered a smile at the murmurs that erupted at the comment. Even with her emotionless expression, the woman did not look like the vampire she was. Several of the men made disparaging comments, others outright laughed.

"Yes, Thompson. She is."

Silence fell over the group as he spoke. He looked over to find that she had obligingly removed her glasses, showing her crimson eyes for the first time. She stepped forward, physically taking control of the conversation. Several men shifted back in their seats and Elliot was forced to pretend a cough to cover a smile. She flicked her gaze to him and he swallowed his humor.

"We will start training as soon as I finish speaking. Training will begin in the shooting range then we will proceed to hand-to-hand combat. Tonight, I will gauge you on what you know and how good you are. After that, you will be separated into groups by ability. Some of you will continue to train mostly on your own. Others will train almost entirely with me. Do not presume to think you understand the reason why.

"Are there any questions?"  
"Will we be fighting against you, miss?"

"Yes, corporal. Eventually, you will even be shooting at me."

"But, miss –"

"You will refer to her as Major."

"- Major, what if we kill you?"

Murmurs sounded through the room at the boastful question. The vampire merely looked at the corporal with a steady gaze until the room fell silent once more.

"Even if every person in this room attacked me at once, you could not kill me."

"Pardon me, Major, but we've fought plenty of vampires before, we-"

"Corporal, you have yet to fight a true Nosferatu. You have only fought trash. You cannot defeat me."

Silently, she turned on her heel, showing her back to the entire room. She gave Elliot a cursory nod, paused, and then turned her gaze to Winter before giving her an acknowledging nod as well.

"We begin. Come."

**~x~**

"Miss Victoria, you've been over the troops for a month now. What is your assessment?"

The vampire laid out a stack of folders on the desk in front of him. She picked up one of the folders and held it out to him.

"These ten can make up their own squad. They should be able to handle single vampire missions as a single unit." She handed him another folder. "Same for this group of fifteen. They are slightly weaker but should manage."

She picked up a group of folders, leaving only one behind. "These should be sent in groups of two squads each. Alone they risk extermination."

"And the last group?"

"These three are in their own group. Sakura Tenjou, blade specialist, Ethan Williams, expert marksman and Aidan Fitzpatrick, combat strategist. They can be sent on missions alone for all single vampires. I also want them with me on any multiple vampire missions or with Miss Shannon. They will provide backup."

"I see," he acknowledged quietly, looking at the folders. "Thank you, Miss Victoria. It is nice to have someone with your level of experience as part of the organization."

"Yes, master."

Elliot stared at her for a long minute as she looked back at him unblinkingly.

"Miss Victoria, Seras, would you have preferred that we not wake you?"

Her gaze on him remained steady and for the first time since the night a month before, he saw a flicker of the eyes she'd once had.

"Sir Elliot Walter O'Hara Hellsing," she intoned, addressing him by name for the first time, "I would have preferred never to have slept. It is my will to serve the Hellsing Institute and serve you I shall. Give me orders and I shall obey."

"…If you wish, Seras Victoria."

"Yes, master."

**~x~**

"We are going to be part of her special team, I hear."

"It is an honor, in a way."

"She doesn't seem to be out to kill us."

"Could be a long term ploy. I, myself, would try to convince everyone to trust me before I turned on them."

"She isn't a spy."

"Are you sure?"

"I actually heard that she is a slave."

"Really?"

"Where did you hear that?"

"Captain Douglas said something about the symbols on the back of her hand. They were binding symbols."

"So…what? She has to do whatever we tell her to?"

"I imagine she has to do whatever Sir Elliot tells her. That is the way binding rituals usual act."

"And you'd know."

"My family specialized in them a century before."

"Good information to have."

"She doesn't act like a slave, though."

"She doesn't exactly act happy either."

"No, she acts determined. There is something about her that gives off the impression a will so great I'd be afraid to come across it."

"I've seen her in action. Trust me. You do not want to cross her."

"Being part of her team will allow me to watch her then. That should be informative."

"You and your information."

"Knowledge is power."

"Power corrupts."

"She doesn't appear corrupted. She hardly acts like a vampire."

"No, she acts like a robot."

"No…she acts like someone ripped out her soul."

"Same thing."

"I don't think so. I wonder what happened to her."

"She grew fangs."

"I doubt that is what it was."

"Who knows? Maybe we'll see."

"Should prove interesting."

"Very."

"Let the fun begin."

* * *

AN: Thank you for the overwhelming response to 'Subjugation'. I was awed. I hope you liked the follow up. This story is still a work in progress but I'm hoping to have it finished in a matter of weeks, if not days. My muse showed up in full force on this one.

All the chapter titles for this story will come from Blue October, a fantabulous band if I do say so myself, so if you are looking for deeper meanings, look there.

Please feel free to leave any comments, requests or criticisms via the green box below.

Til we meet again.


	2. ‘the answer’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

* * *

**~x~**

'**the answer'**

**~x~**

"So a vampire walks into a bar and says – Ow!"

A resonating smack interrupted the joke and Aidan turned to glare at the petite Asian girl beside him.

"What was that for?"

"You have absolutely no sense of self preservation do you?" Ethan asked his Northern accent lilted in a tone that implied commentary than invited answer. "I don't care if she _is_ fifty yards away, she can still hear you."

As if to prove a point, the vampire turned to look at them from where she stood on the far side of the parking lot. Aidan waved a hand at her unabashedly, arm rocking back and forth like a grade-schooler. She stared at him for a moment before returning her attention to the building before her.

"You really do want to die."

"Nonsense. If I wanted to die, I would find someway to insult Hellsing or find some slight on true Nosferatu. What I do, she ignores." Aidan smiled at his two companions as he pulled out a map and spread it on the ground at their feet.

Several reports had been received of vampires inhabiting an office building in a town east of Cardiff. Preliminary reports estimated between two to four vampires inside with a large number of ghouls. Upon arrival of the newly formed elite squad at the complex, they found the surrounding area unnervingly calm. Even after twenty minutes of observation, they had found no signs of movement inside the building.

"Alright ladies and gent, lets go for the most efficient route then shall we?" Aidan spoke a little louder, as if to cover distance. "Mistress Death, do we have positions on the vampires?"

"There are two on the first story with the rest on the top floor," she responded from a scant few inches away. All three looked up, clearly startled at her sudden nearness but managed to recover quickly enough to betray no more than a quick flinch. She ignored them completely and pointed at the floor plans.

"The ground floor is infested with ghouls, probably around eighty, with only a handful on the first story."

"Where are they exactly, do you know?" the Irish strategist prodded.

"There are two there," she answered, pointing to an office suite. "I believe they are in the midst of sexual intercourse at the moment."

Aidan looked at her, astonished, before breaking into a large grin. "Excellent! How about the top floor?"

"I will be taking the top floor by myself unless I ask otherwise of you."

"Uh, okay. So, Game plan! Sakura, make your way to the first story and see if you can catch those two with their pants down."

"Literally," Ethan muttered.

"Indeed. Ethan, you and I will go through the ghouls as quickly as possible. You will provide backup to Sakura if she needs it."

"Alright."

"Good. When you are ready, mistress."

The vampire looked down at the Irish strategist who was smiling at her with a grin that asked to be wiped off his face. She locked him in an unblinking gaze until the grin grew awkward and slightly nervous before looking away.

"Proceed."

**~x~**

"Aidan, what are you doing?"

"I, my Northern friend, am hacking into the sub-network and accessing the security feed from the building we were at with the hot vampire two nights ago."

Ethan rounded the computer, curious despite himself. "Who are you trying to get a fix on?"

"Who else?"

"I never know with that cunning mind of yours. I imagine you'd like to watch every second of the feed ten times over just to memorize how we move. Your mind works in mysterious ways."

"The Irish mind is truly great. And you are right," Aidan commented, clicking a button, "I will watch it many times. However, at the moment, I'm more curious about the Frost Mistress."

"Major Victoria is going to kill you one day, Aidan."

"Perhaps, my dear Sakura, but I doubt it. If she were going to, she'd have done it already. I'm being extra annoying apurpose."

"Including spying on her?" The Asian girl flashed her green eyes at him repressively as she, too, approached the computer.

"Cast not the first stone, my curious friends. Ah! Here we go."

"Is that eight vampires in one room with her?"

"Uh, not anymore."

"I've never seen anyone move that fast with a blade," Sakura murmured in awe. "Not even a vampire."

"Now you have," Ethan pointed out helpfully.

"And the two shots we heard downstairs. Amazing. Simply amazing," Aidan marveled.

"She really meant that comment from the start of training."

"Yes, my Northern friend, she did."

"…I don't think we could defeat someone like her. Even with all three of us and half the troops in Hellsing, we couldn't bring her down."

"Correction, my Asian flower, I don't think the entire Institute could. You see how she moves? Every action is efficient without any unnecessary motion. Yet, she still used a blade instead of the gun. Why?"

"She was looking for a challenge?" Ethan offered, blue eyes glued to the screen.

Sakura shook her head. "If she did that, she'd have kept to the blade entirely."

"Very astute, flower of adversity. She did it for us. We only heard two shots, so, until a few minutes ago, we thought there had only _been_ two vampires."

"But why would she care how many vampires we thought there were?" Sakura queried, looking at Aidan with confusion.

The Englishman stared at the screen for a moment more before straightening to look at her. "So we wouldn't be afraid of her."

"Ah, you come to the heart of it, I think, Ethan."

"But why would she care? That is the real question."

Aidan shrugged. "That I couldn't say. For some reason, she does, however. And, honestly, I'm not sure if we should take this as a good sign or a bad one."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Well, she is clearly hiding her abilities, very scary abilities. How we treat that boils down to that wonderful question: why. Does she want to keep us ignorant so we don't suspect what she can fully do? Or does she want to show us what she can do slowly, over time, so as not to scare us all shitless at the idea of facing a 'real' vampire."

"What's the difference?"

"Well, my good man, the difference is motive. One shows concern for us, the other could hint at ulterior motives. If we have no idea what she can do, she can defeat us far more easily since we have no idea what to expect or how to prepare."

"You still think she is out to kill us all?"

"I honestly couldn't say, Sakura. I hope not. But, I will say that one argument relies on her caring about us little humans and I cannot say that she has shown the ability to care at all."

**~x~**

"The last vampire was different."

Elliot managed not to jump as the vampire stepped silently through the wall behind him. For the first three months, she had used the narrow doorways and halls to navigate the fortress like the rest of them. That seemed to have changed, however, and she had started to pop up in rooms unannounced. It was a little nerve wracking.

"How so?"

"They were true Nosferatu."

He sat up and looked at her intently.

"Are you okay?"

"…Yes, master. They were eliminated."

"Well, that's good. How did you, uh, know?"

"He was older than the ones around here. He must have been around seventy-five to a hundred. He was from a weaker vampire line than mine but still strong."

"Hmm, interesting. Do you think he was alone?"

"He was foreign. He mentioned coming from one of the Kingdoms but he didn't say which. He sounded French by birth."

Elliot sighed and leaned back in his chair, eyes trained on the ceiling. "Do you think there will be more?"

"Yes."

"Can you handle them?"

She stayed silent for a minute as if carefully considering the question. "If they stay at this level or around it, yes."

"Thank you."

"Yes, master."

**~x~**

"Good evening, Miss Shannon. Nice of you to join us join us this evening my dear Irish rose."

Winter spared the Irishman an amused glance from her ministrations of pinning up her long brunette hair.

"You are a fool, Aidan. She is not a rose which is trite and overused. She is an orchid, distinctive and beautiful," Ethan countered, Northern accent dipped in seductive charm.

"And what am I? Chopped liver?"

Both grinned at the put out blade specialist, for once in complete accord. "Why, my Asian flower, you are the Cherry Blossom."

"A now international symbol of strength and beauty."

"Refinement and grace."

Winter looked at both of them, exasperation painted on her features before looking to Sakura. "Are they always like this?"

"Only when they think I might kill them."

"Oh, that's good. I'd have killed them by now."

"Always with the threats," Aidan grinned.

The girls laughed companionably as they walked over to the newly set up command post some hundred years from the property border of the infested church. As they approached, the man behind the desk stood to greet them with a stiff salute. When Winter waved her hand casually, he resumed his seat and went back to hooking up cables and flipping switches. A moment later, the Hellsing leader stepped into view.

"Oh, Captain, my Captain, what is the word?"

Elliot shot Winter a withering look before gesturing vaguely to towards the churchyard. "Major Victoria believes that there are between two to three vampires inside and approximately one-hundred to one-hundred and fifty ghouls in the surrounding area."

"No offense, but why would that require those three, me _and_ Seras?"

"The Doll Queen alone should be enough to get the vampires and the three of us could more than handle the ghouls. We don't really require our Irish Rose's presence."

"Thrilling though it is," Ethan added.

"These are not the sort of vampires we are used to hunting. Major Victoria believes that they are 'true' vampires and are between the ages of seventy-five to one-hundred and fifty."

The three members of the Elite squad exchanged a look with each other, the security feed from three months prior alive in their minds.

"She does believe, however," Elliot continued, unaware of their concern, "that they are not on the same level as her. She even protested sending further back up, but I'd rather err on the side of caution."

"We should begin."

The vampire's voice came from a few feet and everyone turned to look at her where she stood stiffly in front of the computers. Elliot nodded and gestured to the three members of the Elite squad.

"You three will take ghoul cleanup. Major Victoria and Miss Shannon will proceed to the interior of the church to take care of the vampires."

"Sick bastards, defiling a church," Aidan commented, crossing himself.

"I think we established that by recognizing them as vampires," Winter commented. "Your self excluded of course, Seras."

The vampire looked at her coolly. "I acknowledge that I am a monster."

"That aside," Elliot interrupted, slightly harried, "if the three of you finish before Major Victoria and Miss Shannon please proceed inside to help complete the mission."

"Yes, sir."

"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation."

"Amen."

**~x~**

Winter had grown up at the death. At the age of two, she had witnessed the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of a pair of freak vampires. At two, she had stepped out of the destroyed Hellsing mansion one of the three survivors of the sudden and devastating attack.

She had grown up knowing her father was a refined weapon, the Institutes resident Trashman, and she had been proud. She had begun her own training to replace him at age three. By nine she could hold her own in a fight; at twelve she was deadly. At fourteen, she had been lethal.

When most girls were worrying about the A-levels and whether their relationships would survive the transition from secondary to university, she had been helping Elliot take up the reigns of Hellsing after a mission had left both of their father's dead. She had taken her place as Trashman and had excelled.

Death was a concept closer to her than home.

But on that day, eight moths into her nineteenth year, Winter realized that she had never truly known death.

**~x~**

He found her sitting on the steps before the Traitor's gate, looking down into the rippling waters. The pitch of night made the Thames seem murkier than ever and for a moment, he could almost imagine a faerie king of old stepping from the depths and climbing the stairs to greet him. The image passed and instead he descended until he could sit on the cold stone beside her. As soon as he settled, she leaned her head on him in a familiar gesture she had abandoned when she took up the mantle of Hellsing Trashman.

"Something scared you tonight, Wynne. What was it?"

"I thought I knew vampires. I'd seen them since that horrible night when we were two and both of our lives changed forever."

"And seeing these new ones changed that idea?"

She shook her head, jostling his shoulder in the process. "It wasn't them. It was Seras."

He let out a heavy breath. "What happened in there, Winter?"

"She...she was amazing. They tore her to shreds but she merely stood back up, as whole and perfect as she'd started. And the feeling I felt when I was in there. It was like the very shadow of night had stepped into the room to swallow us whole. It was amazing and terrifying."

"Did she hurt you?"

She shook her head, pulling away to look at him. "That's just it, Elliot. She protected me. She stepped into the path of bullets more than once to help me. Yet, moments later she was tearing into them and drinking their blood before tossing them away like so much garbage." She looked down at the water again, as if it could answer all the questions buzzing in her head. "I don't know what to think of her. Is she dangerous or is she the ultimate trump card? Is she just waiting to destroy us all or does she truly mean to serve Hellsing?"

Elliot sighed and took her hand between both of his, wondering, for a moment, at how small they were.

"I know it may sound stupid, but I trust her."

"You know, so do I."

"Well then, there is only one thing left to do."

"Ask her to help train me?"

"That's my girl."

**~x~**

"Does it worry anyone else that the Irish Death Machine has started regular training sessions with Mistress Lethal Cold?"

"No. Should it?"

"I don't think it should, Ethan, but Aidan probably does. He's paranoid."

"It is not paranoia. It is healthy understanding of ones own mortality."

"Why does it matter that they are training together?"

"Because if the Mistress of Undeath were to gain any followers in her eventual plan for our demise, the last person I want on her side is Winter Shannon."

"And the last person who would betray Hellsing is Miss Shannon."

"A truth I know better than most, my flower of strength, but one should always prepare for eminent insanity."

"You have fun with that, Aidan. I'm going to go to the shooting range and see if I can pick up a few tips."

"And we have a Judas in our midst!"

"I'll go with you."

"Blasphemers!"

"Shut up or come along."

"Me? Shut up? When given only those two choices, I must follow."

"Ethan, do you have a gag?"

"Sadly, no."

**~x~**

The vampire was the last to exit the burning building. Her petite form silhouetted against the blazing inferno, her expressionless face more jarring in the picture painted than the vision itself. Such menace deserved a look of victory or malice, pride or determination, glee or sorrow. But, nothing flickered on her face as she approached the battered group of humans.

"My services are no longer enough, master."

"You just saved all their lives, Seras Victoria. Do not say that is not enough."

"Over the past two months, the number of vampires sent from this new vampire kingdom has been more in number and stronger each time. I can no longer guarantee the safety of anyone who tries to fight them."

Elliot looked down at the tired figure of Winter where she sat dressing wounds on the cold ground by his feet. A few feet away, Sakura was bandaging Ethan and Aidan was doing his best to bind his own leg. Eight vampires had waited for them. Even with all the skills of the Hellsing organizations best people, they had, in the end, been forced to burn the building to the ground to ensure the termination of all targets. His people had only been spared by a quick teleportation on the vampire's part. She had shoved them all to safety while she had started the blaze.

With a deep sigh, he looked back at his most valuable asset, his trump card. "Do you think they are declaring war on us?"

"I could not say for certain. At the very least, they are trying to get your attention."

"Have we had any confirmation from any of the victims on where they might be from?"

"This last batch seemed to slip up a bit more than the previous ones. From a few comments I overheard, I believe they've been sent from Romania."

He groaned. "The new king of Romania claims to be the actual Dracula, Vlad Tepes himself. How does one fight a legend should they come to pick one?"

"He is not Vlad Draculea. He is a fake parading as a legend."

Elliot's gaze jerked to face her, as did that of everyone in the immediate area, the even tone of her voice giving more weight to her words. "Oh? How do you know?"

"Because I know where the real one is."

"Uh, where?"

"In your basement."

**~x~**

"You are going to wake him aren't you?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"Are you sure that is the smartest thing to do?"

"No, no I'm really not."

"Then why are you going to?"

"Because I am supposed to have complete control of him."

"Somehow I'm not sure I believe that notion."

"I don't really either to be honest."

"So then, my fearless leader, why are you doing it?"

"Have you ever wondered why she doesn't smile?"

"Yes. I've also wondered why she doesn't frown or cry or get pissed off and punch Aidan in the face."

"I've wondered the same thing. Especially concerning Aidan. But, you know, I wonder if _he_ knows the answer."

"Please tell me that is _not_ the reason you want to wake him."

"I want to wake him because she thinks it's a good idea. Generally speaking, if she says it's a good idea, then it is."

"She never said it was a good idea. She _said_ he was the vampire legends are built around. There _is_ a difference."

"It was implied."

"It's also implied that she is a heartless, soulless creature. And how can she imply anything? Her inflection does _not_ change enough to imply things."

"She implies by not blinking when she's talking to you."

"I'd noticed that. Still, are you sure that this is what she wants?"

"I honestly don't know. I think so, but who can say anything about her wants with any surety. But, I think so, so I'll wake him up."

"…You just want to see if he talks with a funny accent."

"Look, think of it this way, if he _is_ who she says he is, you will get to witness some pretty spectacular violence."

"…True."

"Regardless. She _is_ right. The next time we go out, someone may die. We have managed not to lose a single soldier since she arrived."

"It's only been six months. Most organizations can manage to be accident free for six months."

"This one hasn't managed it before. And I'd really rather not have the first 'accident' be you. I consider you far too valuable for that."

"I'm honestly touched. So…when are you going to do it?"

"Tonight."

"How incredibly frightening a thought."

"Isn't it?"

* * *

AN: All of your reviews are so kind! I'm so happy you like it! Thank you for all the feedback.

I have the writer's bug for this story so I'm already working on the next chapter. It may be done within the next week.

And if anyone can think of a less lame summary, I am totally up for suggestions. I SUCK at summaries.

Please feel free to leave any comments, requests or criticisms via the green box below.

**EDIT:** I went through and added a few more "he said" bits to the conversations. Some of the conversations are left blank on purpose but hopefully they are not confusing as to who is talking. Also, in quick sum up, since some may be confused (though I will try to clarify it in later chapters), Aidan Fitzpatrick, strategist, is the sarcastic Irish bastard. Ethan Williams is the Northerner (as in from the North of England) and Sakura is of course the Asian. Anytime anyone is referred to with any sort of odd nickname, its Aidan talking.

I hope that clarifies.

Til we meet again.


	3. ‘x amount of words’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

* * *

**~x~**

'**x amount of words'**

**~x~**

"He is old and he is powerful. Just a small amount of blood should do."

"That's a relief," Elliot chuckled nervously, eyeing the bound figure on the floor. When he had woken her six months before, she had at least _looked_ slightly normal. This one, he had a feeling, would never be described as anything resembling normal.

"Miss Shannon, I recommend you stand next to the door. He can be…unpredictable at best."

"I am perfectly fine with that," Winter commented, backing up. It was unusual for her to show nervousness but, then, when the unbelievably powerful creature next to them commented casually that the creature they were about to wake was even more so…it paid to be cautious.

"Your hand, please, master."

Grudgingly, he gave her his hand, eyeing the drawn blade in her grasp. She took it matter-of-factly and, without the barest hesitation, pulled the blade quickly against the palm of his hand. He couldn't help the wince that forced itself out when she prodded the new wound, working to get a fine coating of blood on the metal. Finally, she appeared satisfied and let go of him.

"Stay here."

Elliot nodded mutely as he watched her approach the bound creature. Her steps held no fear. Instead, she walked straight up to it and lowered herself to her knees. He wondered, for a moment, if she would pull his white hair from his face as she had done before, but she merely put the blade before him and waited.

Infinite seconds passed as they watched and Elliot could hear every breath that he and Winter took. Then, suddenly, the creature's body bent forward, contorting itself into shapes impossible for a normal human, letting the long locks of his snowy hair fall over what had shown of his face. Elliot could see nothing of what he did nor if he took the offered blood, but after a few seconds, the blade was withdrawn and placed casually on the ground.

Slowly, a dark laugh filled the room like so much water and Elliot felt his blood run cold. They only thought he could manage in the wake of the horrifying sound was, _What have I done?_

"A new Hellsing has chosen to wake me. How fantastic!"

The figure jerked, suddenly on his feet, his arms freed, before Elliot could catch the motion. He noticed that _she_ did not move from her position on the floor, but instead remained kneeling in place, face turned down.

"Name yourself Hellsing," the creature ordered, voice seductive and dark.

"I am Sir Elliot Walter O'Hara Hellsing, present leader of the Hellsing Institute. Who are you?"

Elliot was proud that he'd managed to keep his voice firm and sure. The creature on the other hand, seemed amused. He threw back his head in mad laughter, showing his full face for the first time. The young Hellsing was somewhat surprised. When the vampire calmed and turned an amused look on him, his face was fairly young, no more than mid-thirties, if that, and one which most women would have found darkly attractive.

"You have promise, little Hellsing."

Elliot opened his mouth to respond, but the vampire's attention had shifted. He seemed to notice the woman at his feet for the first time. As he watched, the humor left the vampire, slowly drained away as he looked at the seemingly young woman at his feet. And, before Elliot's eyes, the creature believed to be the ultimate legend of vampires dropped to one knee and reached a gentle hand out to caress the girl's cheek.

"Seras Victoria."

She looked up for the first time, guided by his fingers, her face as blank as ever. At the sight, the master vampire frowned.

"Welcome back, Alucard, my master."

**~x~**

"I thought Miss Victoria was bad when she started popping up out of nowhere."

"She doesn't have the sense of humor for it, apparently.

Sir Elliot Walter O'Hara Hellsing turned his look at the vampire who had appeared in the room with a soft chuckle a moment before. Gone were the black leather clothes with restraints sewn in and the wild long white hair. In their place, he had somehow donned a sharp suit and a sweeping red over coat, his hair shortened and turned black. Still, these changes didn't interest Elliot as much as the look on the vampire's face.

In the intervening day since she had indicated that they should wake the master vampire, he had read through a number of the journals of his ancestors. Most of them described the strange master vampire's behavior in one way or another. His grandmother had been the most frequent, describing him as annoying, arrogant and constantly amused.

But this was not what he saw now.

"She used to be different, didn't she?"

"Yes, master."

**~x~**

"Well, Major Victoria and…Alucard tell me that there are no fewer than thirteen vampires in the office building. Most of them appear to be inhabiting the top floors while a few are on the lower levels."

Alucard listened with half an ear as his newest master described the situation at hand. His attention instead focused on the interesting creatures around him. Humanity had not changed much since he had last roamed the earth. Most of the human inhabitants of the Hellsing Institute had given him a wide berth in the past two days since his awakening. A few of them stared at him in open curiosity, among them the four that were apparently most regularly sent out with his draculina.

One of them in particular, a tall brunette with belligerent ice-blue eyes, kept an openly curious gaze on him. Much to the chagrin of his partners, Alucard guessed, judging by their pained expressions. He would be willing to bet that the man would find someway of striking up a conversation in the next few days, even more to his partners' chagrin most likely. Humans, all in all, really hadn't changed much.

No, what had changed was his former fledgling.

"Our vampires are going to enter from the roof while you four will enter from the main entrance."

"And your orders, master?"

The young Hellsing frowned, apparently confused. Alucard grinned. The joys of training a new master were always his favorite upon waking.

"I just explained my orders, Alucard. You are to enter from the-"

"The orders are to search and destroy."

The draculina's words cut off their master's and everyone turned to look at her. She, on the other hand, focused on no one but the Hellsing leader and Alucard had a feeling that she was silently instructing him. They stared at each other for a moment more before the boy's expression cleared and he gave a short nod.

"Yes. Your orders are to search and destroy.

"Yes, my master."

"In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation."

"Amen."

**~x~**

She moved without hesitation, ripping into her foes until they were wiped from existence. One or two she drank from, stealing their last drop before cutting their hearts effortlessly from their chests and letting them fall in piles of so much dust. He watched her work, mesmerized, and allowed himself spare attention only enough to destroy those that attacked him. The fools only lasted seconds.

He would have found her magnificent and might have relished in her complete relinquishment of her humanity. But he couldn't. There was no hesitation but nor was their joy. Each of her actions were those of an automaton, a well oiled machine, not the motions of a No-Life Queen. She was a clean slate devoid of anything but the will to complete her mission.

He should have been thrilled. He was horrified.

**~x~**

"You have a warped sense of humor, Alucard."

He looked over his shoulder, smirk still firmly in place, at the slip of a girl who had appeared in the doorway of the small chapel. He knew that she had been there when they had woken him and again in the first mission Elliot Hellsing had sent him on, but this was the first time she'd spoken in his presence.

"I know Aidan can be annoying but…." She trailed off, brushing some of her dark hair behind her ear.

He chuckled. "Serves the Irishman right. A bit too full of himself. All the same, who are you precisely, little one?"

"Wynne Tera Shannon, more commonly referred to as Winter and Hellsing's resident human Trashman."

"Fascinating. And weren't you enough to terminate the Freak scum?"

She seemed to ignore him, choosing instead to down the aisle to the small alter. Her blue eyes trailed up to the cross hanging above it and she tilted her head to one side as if contemplating something.

"Seras is…something else. When she fights, she is the scariest thing I've ever seen. Efficient death."

He just watched her, curious in spite of himself. He knew well that she was scared of him but even the closest observer wouldn't know it to look at her. Even her voice was steady and sure as she spoke.

"I imagine you are scarier She says you have more power than she does."

He bobbed one shoulder in a negligent shrug. "She has come into her own so her power isn't that much different from mine. It lacks age. She could almost be called a No-Life Queen."

The girl nodded. "I think you are like me. You enjoy the fight. Enjoy the challenge. It isn't even so much the destruction itself but the act of doing it. Never the end result, always the action."

"I imagine so, little one."

Finally, she turned bodily to look at him, short blue dress fluttering a little in the action. "And you scare me, Alucard. I have no illusions that you could be rid of me in seconds if you so choose."

Alucard grinned at her. "Quite so."

"She scares me more."

Instantly, he sobered. "Tell me, little one. No more hinting. Speak your mind."

"She is truly terrifying. Nothing she does reflects a single emotion. No fear, no hate, no joy, no happiness, sadness, grief or hope. She simply acts. No one destroys without feeling _something_ but she does. And she does it so well that it would make the most skilled person nervous."

She sighed, looking down at her hands for a moment before looking back to meet his gaze. "None of us can say _why_ she does what she does. Does she do it because she is told? Does she do it because she hates vampires? Without any motive, how can we know her? And without knowing her, how can we trust her?"

Alucard threw back his head and laughed. "What do you expect, little one? She is a vampire, a true Nosferatu. You look for trust in the ultimate creature of the night?"

The girl leveled a steady look on him. "I'm sure I could trust you. I may not see every thing that goes on in your head, but I can see what you enjoy. I'm sure I could learn what you don't enjoy and what you hate. What bores you over what excites you. You react to your world and by that I can learn to trust in your reactions. They give you an honesty that most people don't have."  
He smirked at her. "And you fear her for what she does not show you."

"Yes."

"Then, little one, why do you come to me?"

"You know, don't you? You know how she got this way."

He sighed, the sound echoing in the small room. "Actually, little one, this time, I could not say I did."

She glared at him, her irritation overtaking any other emotion she might have felt in that moment. "Then it's your job."

"What is?"

"It's your job to fix her."

"If I can, little one. If I can."

**~x~**

He'd been to the Tower of London several times over the years, most when it still served its purpose as a prison. It was interesting to see what they had done to conform it to Hellsing's needs and quite amusing to watch the little Hellsing try not to bump his head on the low ceilings and look impressive in the little office he'd carved out of the White Tower rooms.

There was something to be said for presentation.

And they had relegated his former fledging to the Victorian Tower, letting the vampire sleep in the basement below the chapel. A great irony. And it was there that he sought her. Unlike every year previous, she had not once sought his company. In the week since they had awoken him, she had been in his company only when they were executing missions or talking to their Hellsing master.

It confused him. She was never rude, supplying every polite phrase with her stone face. But, too, she was not friendly either. When business was done, she left his company, never seeming to care if he was around or not. This change in her bothered him more than any other.

It wasn't that he was a vain man, which, to a point, he was. He wasn't missing her company as a blow to his pride. No, it was something different. And, his own reasons aside, this worried him. He knew that she felt attached to him, or had, and she had treated him much like family, or perhaps a bit more, in the years since her turning.

He knew that there was an odd mix of romance and loyalty in the ties that bound her to him. She had always been faithful to him, even when she still felt fear of who he was, but he knew that had not been all. She had shone on him a convoluted hero worship and girlish crush that had morphed into something else when she had accepted his blood and come into her own. After the incident with the blood lust, she had taken any opportunity to touch him, craving contact with his flesh even if she wouldn't allow herself to ask for more.

She had never hidden herself from him, yet, now, she was.

He sighed heavily at the empty room, save for himself and a white coffin newly engraved and symbolled with words and pictures he did not care to decipher at the moment. She was elsewhere and, for a moment, he considered giving up. He frowned, irritation high, and mustered the energy to continue on.

Hunting down little stray draculina was a bit beneath him.

**~x~**

"Little Irishman."

"Aargh! Don't _do_ that!"

"Have you seen Major Victoria?"

"No, Mister Unholy Demon Badass, I have not seen the Alabaster Queen. Can't you knock or something?"

"That is far less entertaining. You should be careful what names you apply to my little draculina."

"Hmph. Look, Tall, Dark and Fangy, if she wants to injure me for what I call her, that is her prerogative, not yours."

"So, I'm allowed to kill you for what you call me? Marvelous. I'll have to come back to this."

…

"Well, shit."

**~x~**

He found her on the roof of the White Tower, perched on one of the turrets and looking out over the Thames and the south of London. Her long hair whipped around her face in a violent contrast to her features and for a moment he wondered why she kept it so long.

"You've been hiding from me, police-girl."

"Not really, master."

"Don't lie to me, Seras Victoria," he growled softly as he took his place beside her. London had changed a bit more than the Tower had, but it was to be expected.

"I'm not lying, master. I have not been hiding from you. I've just not been seeking you either."

He sighed, his patience strained by irritation and confusion. "And why is that, Seras? Why do you now seek everyone's company but mine?"

She looked at him then, something in her eyes that he could not read and, not for the first time, did he curse his inability to search her mind as he once could. She kept her eyes on him for sometime before turning back to the water.

"You sound almost jealous, master. I seek no one's company but those who have specifically asked for it."

He narrowed his eyes at her, hating her briefly for pointing out something him that he patently refused to admit to. "Well, then Seras Victoria, what if I request it?"

She looked at him briefly, eyes flickering blue for the barest instant and nodded.

"Then you shall have it."

**~x~**

"I'm not sure I like this new development," Ethan muttered, glancing over at the two vampires where they stood, silently waiting.

Elliot Hellsing had gathered all the troops on the Tower Green at an hour past dusk. Unlike the scene a half a year before, everyone gathered had experienced more than their fair share of vampires and even the newest recruits were hardened veterans. Yet, with the help of the resident vampires, causalities had been far less prevalent and their numbers had still managed to grow considerably.

"It's not exactly a new development, you know," Winter replied with a smile as she approached, glancing up briefly to where Sakura sat perched in a tree. "They were partners long before any of us were even born."

"And it's not like Fang Face is getting anywhere," Aidan commented from his spot on a half-crumbled wall. "It's been two weeks since she's allowed him to keep her company and she still acts the same."

"I wonder what he'd say if he heard you refer to it like that, her 'allowing' him."

"Evil Red over there may be extremely powerful and, from what I gather, her sire, but Snow Mistress is perfectly able to avoid him should she wish to. And she did for over a week. She's allowing it."

"Not that they do much. He mostly just watches her while she does other things. Like a puzzle," Ethan commented pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "I hope he doesn't end up treating her like something to solve and throw away."

"Aww, Ethan, you seem concerned," Sakura commented, looking up from the book she'd been leafing through. "I knew you fancied her."

"Do not," he muttered without much heat as the other two burst into laughter.

"You better not," the Irishman warned, patting the Northerner on the shoulder. "That would end badly."

"Shut up."

"Yes, do. Our fearless leader is finally ready," Winter commented prompting the other three to turn their attention to the front once more.

"Well, troops, I must say it's been a rough year so far. I would like to commend each of you on a job well done. You are the finest soldiers out there and this country owes you a debt of gratitude."

Elliot paused in his speech to give his fighters a salute. They cheered at the gesture and a few seconds passed before it was quiet enough for him to continue.

"For some months, it appeared that we were under attack by the new Kingdom of Romania. However, after the attack nearly three weeks ago, their presence in England seems to be diminishing. It appears that whatever the reason for their initial attacks, it has ended. We are not going to take this lightly, however. Instead, we are going to use this opportunity to work on our training, doing it better and doing it harder.

"As such, I have asked Major Victoria to resume her position as head of training. I suggest you rest up tonight and tomorrow because tomorrow night, hell begins."

Groans echoed through the courtyard, growing louder when their leader dismissed them.

"I take it Melodrama Man will not be joining the training sessions then?"

"Nope," Winter shook her head, smirking in spite of her self at the name. "Alucard has been assigned to investigate the source of the Instant Vampire technology. He is more familiar with the signs of it and, since he fought in the Millennium War of 2000, he has a better idea of what may be going on."

"Not to mention that he'd scare the shit out of all the newer folk," Ethan commented.

"Only because he doesn't have breasts," Sakura commented, dropping down from the tree. "Large breasts seem to make men fear less."

"Astute observation, my Asian flower. Perhaps, that is why I fear both of you so much?"

Aidan grinned before turning to run away as fast as his legs could carry him, laughter following behind him.

"Did he just indicate that our boobs weren't large enough?" Winter wondered aloud.

"I believe he did."

"Well then."

In a flash, both girls were after him, leaving Ethan on his own to glare at the three.

"Damn idiots."

**~x~**

"It's not what I expected."

"Their relationship?"

"Yeah. I don't know what I was expecting, honestly, but not this."

"It doesn't seem natural."

"I think part of me thought he would come in and she would suddenly be better."

"Somewhat naïve of you, Elliot."

"Thanks, Wynne. You are a doll."

"Still, I get what you mean. She seems almost worse when with him. He projects his moods and feelings. She is just…devoid. They are an eerie contrast."

"I think it bothers him, too."

"He seems awfully confused by it. As much as he'll show anyway."

"But, she really wasn't always like this. I wonder what happened to her."

"I wonder if he is part of the cause."

"Could be. You men folk never seem to know when you've screwed up."

"Hey."

"Still, it could be something entirely different. And it could be that she may stay this way forever."

"Could be."

"It would be sad, though. I think she was meant to smile, you know?"

"She'd be beautiful if she smiled."

"She's beautiful now, Elliot."

"Yeah but…you know."

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

AN: This one went through the most rewrites. I was very, very paranoid about getting things right. I still am honestly so constructive criticism is once more VERY welcome.

I tried my hardest to clarify who was speaking at all times. Hopefully, it worked.

I will be doing inventory at my store so the next chapter may be up quickly, it may not. I have to figure out pacing for the first time. I have the ending worked out in my head, its just getting to it that makes it fun. But that is me in a nutshell.

Thank you again for all your kind words. I'm glad that you like my story.

Til we meet again.


	4. ‘she’s my ride’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

Note: This is more or less manga canon. Where it goes awry from there is explained in the prequel to this, Subjugation, so if you haven't read that, pelase do. It will start getting a bit more confusing if you haven't.

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to all my lovely reviewers, especially those who have reviewed every chapter (mari strange, 0-Girlycard-0, Angel Reaper) with an extra special dedication to Celes Nightlord, who admited to getting my sense of humor. Thank you all very much.

* * *

**~x~**

'**she's my ride'**

Or

'**old dog, old tricks'**

**~x~**

"You are too soft on them."

The draculina looked over at him briefly before looking back at the troop of soldiers that were running an obstacle course.

"You mean that I choose not to scare them unnecessarily."

He chuckled darkly. "It's not unnecessary. They should learn to face their fears here before they get out into a mission and panic."

"All of these men have faced the new Romanian vampires. They know what to expect."

"Are you sure about that," he purred, stepping up behind her so that her back was nearly touching his front.

"I'm not going to let you play with them, master." She turned to face him, managing somehow not to increase the distance between them as she looked up into his eyes. "Don't you have somewhere you are supposed to be?"

He frowned, unable to muster enough irritation to be completely angry at her dismissal. Whatever else, he was fond of the new level of assertiveness she had in his presence.

"So boring," his voice intoned, echoing slightly, as he faded away into nothing.

**~x~**

"Report."

"There seem to be remnants of laboratories all over the country. It appears that whoever they are, they are moving around every few months. The oldest facilities looks like it was abandoned over five years ago, perhaps six."

"Any sign of newer facilities?" Elliot asked, looking up at the dark ceiling.

"One that was recently abandoned. They left no personnel behind for me to…interrogate."

He shot the vampire a wary look. "I'm sure your interrogation methods are most informative indeed. All the same, could you hazard a guess on who or what may behind all this?"

"Signs point towards a foreign entity but I can't be certain. Most of the freaks appear to be native to their areas."

Sighing, Elliot watched the vampire turn his attention to the line of portraits on the wall. His father had insisted they bring as many of them from the ruined mansion as possible and they had worked to hang those of the previous Hellsing heads in the significantly smaller office. He wondered, briefly, at how the tall man managed to never bump his head anywhere in the building as Alucard stopped in front of the picture of his great-grandmother.

"She was there when Seras was turned, wasn't she?"

"Integra was an amazing woman. I believe she developed an attachment to my little draculina from the very first, despite her anti-vampire stance."

"What was Hellsing like then?"

The vampire looked over at the young Hellsing and, for a moment, Elliot wondered if he would answer, before the creature smirked. He strolled up to the desk.

"It was much the same as it is now. Freaks and ghouls. Shortly after my draculina came, we were forced to hire a group of mercenaries. They found a certain…loyalty. They did their job." The vampire shrugged negligently. "I was…absent for thirty years. If you want details about what it was like directly after the war, you would have to ask your Major."

Elliot smiled. "I'll do that. Uh, who sealed you? There was no mention of it in the records. In fact, after my great-grandmother, there seemed to be almost no mention of either of you at all. Winter and I found you on accident, actually, sorting through old records."

"My master's son sealed us after her death."

The Hellsing leader frowned. The vampire's voice had frozen, losing the warm humor from earlier and something about how he said it was off, but Elliot couldn't say what.

"Something wrong, Alucard?"

The master vampire grinned, turning to the wall adjacent, throwing his answer over his shoulder before stepping through to darkness.

"Shall we say that I am less than fond of some of my former masters?"

**~x~**

"Red-and-Psycho is trying to kill us."

"No, Aidan, I think he's trying to scare us," Ethan argued as he watched the vampire in question talking to the other.

"He apparently thinks that the training isn't hard enough," Sakura added thoughtfully.

The three watched as the ultimate scary midian tried his best to convince his former fledgling to let him have a hand in the training. It had been going on for some twenty minutes as the lower level troops went through the combat course the Major had constructed on the fiend that had taken the place of the moat centuries before. Yet, for all his wheedling, she wasn't budging.

"You know, I'm kind of glad that she is made of stone and ice."

"Yes, Aidan, that seems like a very good thing right now."

They watched as the master vampire seemed to grow at least three feet and towered over the unmoving woman before him. After a minute, she turned to face him and said something, apparently a dismissal, because the vampire returned to his usual height, a grumpy look on his face. He glared at the vampire, who had turned her back on him once more, before stepping into the waiting shadows and disappearing.

"Yes, a _very_ good idea," Sakura agreed.

**~x~**

"The freak population seems to be organizing itself."

"I noticed. There are more lulls between mission and more vampires per mission."

"Yep."

Winter watched in curiosity as the two vampires sat across a chess board from each other. Alucard had apparently taken the black side and little remained of his army. Still, even with her limited chess knowledge, Winter knew better than to hazard the winning side.

"Who's winning?"

Both vampires shot her a look and, for a moment, Winter thought she saw incredulity in the draculina's eyes. If it was there, though, it was gone quickly and her attention was drawn to the master vampire as he chuckled softly.

"While my former fledgling is doing well, she will lose in three moves."

"Master is arrogant, as usual," she retorted, making a move.

"No, just right, as usual."

Winter ignored the banter, keeping her eye on the pieces and, sure enough, by Alucard's third move, he had beaten the draculina.

"Check mate."

She stared at the pieces for a moment before looking up at her former master's crimson gaze.

"Again."

He chuckled. "I'm afraid it will have to wait until tomorrow night. I have an appointment with an informant in a few minutes. Behave yourself." His final words echoed through the room as he disappeared into the shadows leaving the two women alone.

"As if you were the mischief maker," Winter chuckled as she took his place. "Care to play against me?"

The vampire considered a moment before nodding. "I've just started learning."

"I've never been all that good myself, but I figure the only way to get better is to practice against as many different opponents as possible."

They played in silence for a few minutes before the vampire broke it, offering personal information for the first time since her waking.

"Master never really spent this much time with me before. Not that he avoided me or chose others company specifically to my own, but he seemed to be as fine in my company as out of it."

Winter hesitated, worrying her lip for a few seconds before taking the plunge and asking her question.

"Why do you think he does it now?"

"Perhaps for entertainment. Why else would he teach me chess?"

"Honestly."

The vampire looked at her a moment, red eyes as calm as ever. "Because he thinks I'm broken and he wants to fix me."

Winter blinked. "Oh, uh. Well, do you _mind_ it? His company I mean."

She moved a white piece carefully. "Not really. Even though he is no longer my master, his presence is…reassuring."

"…Did you love him, Seras? Do you now?"

"I don't know," the vampire answered candidly, her voice as crisp and even as always, tainting the words with an aura of unnaturalness. "I'm not sure I know what that is, Miss Shannon. Nor do I really think I want to."

Winter nodded slowly, wishing, not for the first time, that she could shed tears for the woman across from her, tears the vampire wouldn't let herself cry.

"Check."

**~x~**

"It will do them good to experience the depths of their terrors, to understand the horrors they previously had only imagined! They will be better soldiers. They will be magnificent. They will be-"

"No, master."

"Spoilsport."

**~x~**

"There is less for us to do.

The two other members of the Elite Squad look over at Sakura from where they stood in the middle of an onslaught of ghouls.

"At the moment, I'm not really agreeing with you, my Asian flower I've counted at least eighty ghouls and they are still coming."

Her response was delayed by another wave of the half-life creatures. She neatly cut off the heads of three ghouls before throwing a response over her shoulder to Aidan, panting slightly.

"I meant, idiot, that this is the first mission we've had in over a week."

"Yeah, well," Ethan grunted as he reloaded, "the missions have been making up for the lulls in between. I think Major Victoria said there were ten of them upstairs with another eight on the level above that."

"I hope Silent Death is doing okay by herself up there," Aidan commented between shots. "If she _is_ by herself."

"I've noticed that she tends to start a mission by herself yet ends up with company," Sakura commented. "I think he likes watching her fight."

"She _is_ incredibly sexy when she fights."

The two others turned to look at the Irishman.

"What? She is. I know Ethan thinks so, too."

"Shut it."

"I think there may be more to it, though," Aidan hypothesized thoughtfully as the tides of ghouls seemed to run out.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I think O Mighty Evil One is playing a deeper game than we are seeing."

"Great."

Aidan patted him on the shoulder roughly. "Chin up, my good man. She's a bit much for you anyway."

"Come on, boys. Let's go report in."

**~x~**

Night had fallen on the city of London and there was an unusual stillness in the air over the river Thames. He found her perched on the Tower Bridge, carefully balanced on one of the pointed roofs of the northern tower, looking on the former prison that now housed the Hellsing Institute. Once more, her hair whipped around her in the breeze that came off the water, the only movement on a still being.

"You've surpassed me, police-girl."

"Rubbish."

He chuckled low in his throat as he coalesced from the darkness to stand mere inches behind her on her precarious perch. The lit structure of the bridge cast them both in eerie shadow and he felt further amusement at the idea of giving some human a moment's pause.

"Not as a vampire, no. You are behind me in several centuries of experience but, for you are not so far behind as you might imagine."

"Does that mean one day I might catch up?"

"Perhaps. And, as I said, in some ways, you have surpassed me."

"How?"

He pulled up his arm, casually allowing it to touch her shoulder as he pointed at the Tower.

"You have supplanted me, Seras Victoria. For close to two centuries, I was the Hellsing vampire. They used me to attack their problems and later trusted me to solve their difficulties. I became an advisor and even knew the Queen in her infancy. But now, you hold that place. Sir Elliot Walter O'Hara Hellsing looks to you for counsel. He follows your suggestions almost without question and looks to you above all others to solve the problems that arise."

Slowly, he pulled his hand back until it rested on her shoulder, his thumb slowly moving back and forth on the exposed flesh of her neck.

"Even more," he continued, "you have their trust and loyalty. They follow you without question, from the lowest soldier to that misfit trio of yours and the resident Trashman. Those four especially seem to have a care for you. I even wonder if master would have ever awoken me if it weren't out of concern for you."

"Concern?"

Her voice was ever so slightly tight and Alucard grinned. "Yes, police-girl," he murmured, lips scarce inches from her ear. "Our new master and his little one were both quick to ask me questions of you. They all want to know whether or not you were always the stone statue you pretend to be now."

"I—"

"You are doing an excellent job with that mask of yours, Seras, but never forget who I am." His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her against him. "I may no longer be your master, but your blood is still inside of me. I have drunk from your veins."

He brushed the mark of his bite with his fangs and grinned at the shiver she tried to suppress.

"Master…."

"I do not know why you are hiding yourself from me, my clever draculina, but I will find out. I will see you return to who you really are and not this doll you have made of yourself." He nibbled on the softness of her ear, chuckling into it when she gasped. "This," he whispered. "This I promise you."

Suddenly, she stiffened and pulled away, stepping off their unsteady perch and into the shadows of empty air. She left him behind, alone on the structure that rose high over the Hellsing Institute with only a single message spoken directly to his mind.

_Do not make promises you may not be able to keep, my master._

**~x~**

"I'll warn you, I haven't played chess since I was about nine."

"And I just learned, master. I believe that we are about even."

Elliot grinned boyishly as they started their game. He'd heard about the almost nightly chess games that had started a week or two before and had sat in on a few games in the past few nights. He'd listened in some amusement to the witty banter that flowed back and forth in the room, primarily between Alucard and Winter with occasional comments by the ever concentrating draculina. When both of those parties had been called away by other duties, he had offered himself as an opponent.

"Is it very different?"

"What do you mean, master?"

"Is it very different compared to before?"

She eyed him thoughtfully before moving a piece carefully. "In some ways yes, in others, no."

He smiled, for once finding humor in her traditional sparring use of words. Perhaps it was the simplicity of being able to sit down to a casual game with his favored advisor or perhaps it was the fact that she had agreed to be in his company for reasons other than business, but he was in an unusually good mood, happy in the moment. And, perhaps, it was for this reason that he allowed himself to ask something he normally would never have.

"How do you think I compare to other leaders of the Hellsing Institute, Seras?"

She leaned back in her chair to study him, pulling her hands from where they hovered over the board and folding them in her lap.

"Alucard has been around far more of them. Why don't you ask him?"

He chuckled. "I'm afraid of how he'd answer. Even when he is telling the absolute truth, he's not entirely honest."

"You've managed to sum him up pretty well. You got his measure rather quickly, I think."

"Heh, yeah. Still," he pursued, "how would you answer?"

She moved a piece before settling back in her chair once more. "I did not know Arthur Hellsing, but I heard much of him. I gather he was a good man but fairly extreme. He used Alucard to solve the problems they encountered during the war as well as…his other resources. Still, he didn't seem to recognize the problems in his own home which nearly led to Integra's death in her childhood."

"She took over when she was only twelve, I understand." He made his move, concentrating more on her than what he was doing.

"Yes. And I really can't compare you to Henry or your father," she stated, moving another piece.

"How about compared to Great-Grandmother Integra then?" He moved a piece quickly.

"In some ways, you are much like her. You have the loyalty of your staff and people and you have a good understanding of the nature of the world around you, just as she did." She made her move as she spoke, distracting him slightly from her words. "Her number one priority was the Protestant Order of Knights and the people under her as well as the overall welfare of the country and the Queen. Your priorities are much the same. Still, it was a different time so much of what she was cannot be compared."

"I know," he acknowledged, making another move.

"To answer the point, though, I think you will end up much like her, Elliot."

"T-thank you," he stuttered, blushing slightly.

"It is not meant to be a compliment. Just a fact."

"Still…thank you."

"Check mate."

He blinked, looking at the board in confusion before breaking into rueful laughter.

"Another lesson to you, master. No matter what the distraction, never take your mind from the game you play."

"Lesson learned, Seras."

"Good, master."

**~x~**

"Come, come, police-girl-"

"Fine, Alucard. Just don't injure anyone."

"I knew you would come around to my way of thought, my clever draculina."

"You knew you could be annoying enough."

"Same thing, really."

**~x~**

She was magnificent that night.

It had taken nearly two months of joining her on missions, two months of influencing her, encouraging her to enjoy the destruction. He had rarely bothered to step in and help her in the hunt, choosing instead to have her terminate every last one of them. It had taken most of his will not to join in on the fray, to deny himself the chance to revel in the destruction of the arrogant freaks as they pitifully struck out at them and played at strategy.

That night had proven that it had been worth it.

More than twenty of the freaks had taken over a school in the south part of London. They had attacked most of the nearby neighborhoods and the families of the children that went to school there, managing to fill each of the classrooms with ghouls of all ages. There were hundreds of lifeless corpses holed up in the building, waiting for Hellsing to send in their best, invitation written in blood on the pavement.

Hellsing had answered.

Sir Elliot Walter O'Hara Hellsing had sent his top two squads along with the Elite Squad, his Trashman and the two vampires to quickly solve the problem, disgusted with the unprecedented number of children turned into ghouls. He had stood in front of his soldiers and spoke only three words.

"Search and Destroy."

The little one had given the customary prayer, her voice sharp, and the Irishman had gone over strategy, quickly issuing orders to ensure quick success. He had looked over to the two vampires and had only one thing to say, bitter laughter tingeing his voice.

"Just go kill things. Not us, though, please."

The onslaught had begun immediately. Even with extra rounds, fighting their way through the ghouls had depleted most of her ammo and a good part of his before they even laid eyes on the first Freak. By the time they found the first group, his draculina had resorted to the blessed silver blade she kept strapped to her thigh. He'd watched, almost bored, as she cleanly cut off the head of the nearest freak before pursing the next, choosing to take the heart of that one before moving on.

Her efforts terminated four of the five while he watched, each movement as effortless as the last. When she finished, she looked over at him, eyes slightly narrowed.

"You could help, master."

"I enjoy watching you, police-girl. I enjoy watching you destroy these Freaks with the ease of a true Nosferatu." He stepped up to her, looking down into her shuttered eyes. "The only thing that would make the sight better would be to see you enjoy yourself." He stroked her cheek, guiding his finger down her neck ever so slowly. "Give in, Seras."

She shivered but stepped away quickly. "We should press on."

"By all means."

By the time they had finished with the next group of Freaks, she had started to pant lightly. Blood covered the area, painting the walls and creating patterns on the floor scuffed by their boots and the quick skirmish. The Freaks had relished in their kills, delighting in splattering the red liquid in as many places as they could and her use of the blade instead of the hollow point bullets had led to bloodshed than usual.

It was getting to her.

He knew she fed regularly from the stores at the Institute and had indulged herself in at least one freak per mission, if not more, but it had been almost two weeks since she had been sent out and blood packets could not compare to the feeling of feeding from the source. Add to that the violence that surrounded her and it was like the mixing of certain chemicals. All the ingredients were there. All it needed was the catalyst.

One of the Freaks in the third small group managed to knick her arm by throwing a silver cross that had been kept in the room. She barely winced at the action but, enraged, Alucard had quickly seen to the Freak's end as she sliced the other two to pieces.

"You are bleeding, Seras."

She had barely finished when he made the comment and turned to look at him but he had already moved. Giving her no time to react, he leaned down and drew his tongue across the line of blood on her arm. She gasped at the touch, clutching at him before moving to push his face away. Her fingers, encompassed in the blood soaked gloves, left a small smudge of red on his cheek and he smirked at how her eyes fixated on it.

In an agonizingly slow movement, she reached up, standing on toe, and moved her face ever nearer to his. He stayed absolutely still, unwilling to break the spell, yet, seconds before her tongue touched the flesh of his face, a shot rang out and she jerked wildly as it tore through her shoulder.

He growled, looking to the self-satisfied Freak that smirked at them from the doorway. Narrowing his eyes, he raised the Jackal to blow a hole through it's head when a soft chuckle sounded in the room. The sound grew until it echoed off the walls with an eerie reverberation that made the Freak pause and Alucard look at the draculina beside him. She straightened and turned to face the one who shot her. It was a simple action yet it prompted Alucard to throw back his head in a full throated laughter that sounded through the entire structure.

For the first time since the miserable night ninety-six years before, there was a smile on his draculina's face.

Thirty minutes later, when Winter found them during her spot check of each room, they were standing in the middle of a scene straight out of nightmares, blood and remains surrounding them as they stood in the middle of a once full gymnasium, licking each other clean of the blood that covered them.

**~x~**

"She's changing."

"You think?"

"Still a bit put out by what you saw?"

"It was actually pretty damn erotic, really."

"Winter!"

"What? Just being honest….You think she is going to go back to the way she was before, whatever that might be?"

"I don't know. Once she got out of there, she reverted completely to her usual calm but…."

"It's the first time she's been in the bloodlust since her awakening. So Alucard says, anyway. Whatever you call it, though, its definitely different."

"Yeah, but is it a good thing?"

"For all my wisdom and intelligence, I honestly couldn't tell you, Elliot."

"Great help you are."

"I try."

"You think Aidan has hacked the security feed yet?"

"I imagine he's about done."

"Shall we go watch?"

"If you think it's a good idea."

"Not sure that I do."

"Lead the way."

* * *

AN: This chapter was fun. Along with fun interruptions like that pesky work business, the story just seemed to go its own way for awhile. More or less it ended up saying what I wanted it to say, so I'm posting it, but there may be rewrites of parts of it, including the last scene there in the school. Not sure I like it. I did read through it about 5 times to catch all the typos and such so hopefully none of those.

Thank you for all the very helpful reviews. Nothing rocks more than intelligent critiques, let me tell you. Some comments were brought up about a couple things and I'd like to address them.

This is canon to the manga (and the OVAs) and as such, I go by what I've read there (and reread about fifty times for some parts). In the manga, you see a lot of Alucard's more emotional side (e.g. the bit with the dreams, visions of his past, being upset with Anderson's end, etc.). To me, it felt more like he was not displaying emotions rather than completely lacking them. Ditto to a warped sense of humor. (The Spirit of the Gun dreams are hilarious).

Also, sorry he didn't come out killing everyone...but it didn't quite fit what I wanted to do. Besides, there was no bastard uncle to be rid of. I hope he was more entertaining in this chapter.

Finally, as you might have noticed, my fight scenes are kinda suck. I'm working on it. But, for the most part, they are primarily edited out due to narrative flow. I promise there will be at least one scene of all hell breaks loose fighting and probably a few more before that with Alucard as the primary combatant. There will be bloodshed, do not fear.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and, again, always welcome feedback!

Til we meet again.


	5. ‘hate me’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

Note: My apologies for the unusual delay. I was struck down by something akin to the flu and by Jacob Black's abs. And I'm not even a fan of the series.

* * *

**~x~**

'**hate me'**

**~x~**

"The Irishman has…offspring."

The group of five looked up at the new voice from where they sat around one of the fireplaces in Elliot's private residence. A large storm front had chased everyone indoors and a simple challenge to play the draculina at chess had turned into a small gathering of the top tiers of the Hellsing hierarchy.

"Yes, master. And she is a beautiful child," the draculina answered from where she stood behind Aidan, not having bothered to look away from the presented picture.

"I am honored, Beauteous Death, that you think so. I'm quite fond of her myself."

The master vampire shrugged and took a spot at the now abandoned chess table, quickly joined by his former fledgling. The five humans looked at them silence for a moment before returning to the conversation.

"I'm still surprised a woman was willing to stick around you long enough to let you know she was pregnant," Sakura commented over the spine of her latest book. "You are a bit of a git."

"A bit?"

"Ah, my Asian flower, my Irish rose…you wound me." He held his hand to his heart as if struck before grinning and offering up a small shrug. "I've known Maureen since we were children. She stuck with me until I told her I wanted to join this place. Then she kicked me out." He smiled widely, looking down at the picture of his two year old girl. "Still, they live in London so I get to see her and Shiara whenever possible."

"What's she like?" Sakura inquired, glancing over to where Winter was shifting noisily, pulling her barefoot up under her.

"My Maureen? Oh, she beats me regularly. Hateful woman."

"I'm glad someone does," Ethan muttered, eyeing the two vampires as they sat playing in silence.

"He could use some discipline," Elliot agreed with a chuckle.

"I could help with that, master."

The Irishman visibly paled, much to the amusement of his companions who looked back and forth between Aidan, Alucard and Ethan, anxious for a reply.

"Uh, no thanks, my Pointy Fanged Plotting Friend. I'd like to live to see my daughter grow into a man hater, thank you."

Another round of laughter erupted in the room and Elliot grinned happily to himself. Since the incident at the school two months before, the atmosphere of the Protestant Order of Knights had begun to relax. It was as if with the slow melting of Hellsing's main vampire's cold face, the rest of the organization warmed. Even the lower ranked troops had started to make jokes in her presence and taken to creating small social gatherings when there was a lull in vampire outbreaks.

If nothing else convinced him that she was the symbol of the present Hellsing Institute, it was this.

"I'm not joking. All you womenfolk grow up to be nuts! Just you wait til you have children and watch your angels grow up to be like…well, like you three!"

All three women in the room, including the draculina, turned their eyes on him with a significant look.

"See what I mean?"  
Elliot laughed. "There hasn't been a woman born into our family since my great-grandmother and there wasn't one before her for several generations. I'm afraid I probably won't have the opportunity to sympathize with you, Aidan."

"You will."

The calmly spoken words drew the attention of everyone in room to the quiet blonde woman looking down at the chess board with apparent full concentration. Seconds ticked by slowly as everyone waited for her to elaborate on her statement of calm fact. When a full minute had passed with no further words, Alucard chuckled.

"Come now, police-girl. You shouldn't say such leading statements and then leave everyone to wonder."

"I should leave that to you then, master of annoying mystery?"

Aidan guffawed, delighted once more at the newly developed sense of humor that had become the only overt sign of the draculina's melting disposition.

"I knew I liked her."

"All the same, Seras," Elliot chuckled awkwardly, "could you please elaborate?"

"The next Hellsing heir will be a woman."

"Uh, and you know this…how?"

She carefully moved her queen to an empty space across the board before looking over to her Hellsing master.

"I saw it. Just as I saw you and your father and many of the other happenings of the Hellsing Institute."

Alucard frowned making Elliot wonder if he, too, was hearing of this for the first time.

"When did you see it, police-girl?"

She looked back at him, eyes kindled with a strange light she had never shown before.

"While I slept."

Her words impacted the room with a sudden tense stillness. Elliot had never before heard of vampires having true dreams before but he would never doubt the truth of something she said to him. As far as he had ever seen, she saw no reason to lie.

But apparently, she had seen a reason to hide.

She stood from the table and looked down at Alucard with lips turned slightly at the tips.

"Check mate."

**~x~**

Alucard was avoiding her.

Not that he needed to, he silently grumbled. Even with her too slow reversion to her former ways, she still refused to seek him out and left the decision of his company to his personal whims. Whims, he was afraid, he was more and more inclined to have.

He sighed at his own lack of self control and looked down at the waters of the Traitor's gate, thinking briefly of those who had gone through the gate long ago.

The look his former fledgling had given him earlier had startled him. The revelation of her dreams had been a surprise but not much of one. He had even mentioned their possibility once before. It had been interesting to note that she could ponder the future in her sleep when he himself could not, but, then, women usually were better at such things. It had been something of interest and tactical knowledge to gain and query over at a later time.

The look had bothered him.

While emotions had slowly started creeping back into her face, showing brief glimpses of the girl she had been so long ago, this was something different. It was almost a challenge to him. She was letting him know that she knew his game and declared herself the winner yet.

But more, there was something foreign in the look. Her will had always been remarkably strong, something he was proud of, but it was more than that. Her still crimson eyes were filled with something other than determination and pride, something so foreign to everything she had shown him in the past that he had been unable to recognize it at first.

Bitterness.

And for the first time in longer than he could particularly remember, he felt something close to genuine fear at the thought that someone might think badly of him. That the bitterness was for him.

And that he wouldn't be able to wash it away.

**~x~**

"What does it mean?"

Winter looked over to where the draculina sat sharpening her blade in calm silence, apparently not minding the intrusion into her personal space.

"What does what mean, Miss Shannon?"

"The inscription on your coffin," Winter replied, pointing to the words laid over an odd almost heart shaped symbol behind it. "You did that right after we retrieved it for you. Not that you sleep in it like I thought you would."

The younger girl waved her hand to the rather impressive looking bed that had been unearthed for the vampire's use on her arrival at the end of which the coffin stood, resting against the wall.

"I prefer a more comfortable bed most nights, Miss Shannon. You can hardly blame me for that."

"Blame you, no. Find gross disappointment at the disillusionment of vampire legends, yes."

"Sorry to disillusion you."

Winter shrugged. "No worries. No worse than when I found out The Doctor wasn't real and that no amount of chaos I created would summon the TARDIS."

The vampire stopped in her actions and looked at the girl, humor shining in her eyes where the smile was absent. "If chaos was all it took, my master would have been equal to The Master in terms of The Doctor's attention."

"Somehow, I believe you."

"Now, Miss Shannon, I believe it is time for you to be dressing for the formal presentation in two hours time. You may not use me as an excuse not to attend as I will be forced to go as well."

"You and Alucard are pretty much the reason for it."

"Yes, master even formally asked for my escort."

The younger girl sighed. "I hate these damn balls. Too many rules."

"I'm sure we will all expire from boredom together. Now go dress. If I have to go, so do you."

Laughing, Winter ceded the point and turned to leave the room before pausing in the doorway.

"You didn't answer, you know. It'd be nice. I'll be a good girl."

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"Please? I don't even know what language it is, so I couldn't even look it up."

"It's Latin. A language far deader now than it ever was in my time."

"Stop trying to sound old and decrepit. Next year I'll look older than you. Now what does it say?"

"Quod me non necat me corrobat."

"Which means?"

"What doesn't kill me makes me stronger."

Winter looked at her for a moment before nodding silently and leaving, closing the door quietly behind her.

**~x~**

"You look magnificent."

"Doesn't she?" Elliot Hellsing agreed as he delivered her to the master vampire before smiling and turning to claim Winter Shannon's hand for the next dance.

The Neo-Victorian style of the upper-class led to a surreal feel for the master vampire as he watched mortals dance and move around in clothes he had seen worn before his capture. The style set off his draculina's features perfectly. The blood red gleam of the silks highlighted the pinks of her skin as the sleeveless corseted ballgown showcased her assents in all their glory.

He took her hand and bowed over it, brushing the black fabric with his lips. "Dance with me, my No-Life Queen. Dance with me at this royal court."

She nodded silently and followed him willing to the floor. He had missed her first attendance to a royal ball during his thirty year absence but Integra had informed him later that she had surprisingly known most of the dances, if a bit awkwardly, and had managed herself well. Since then, she had relaxed in her knowledge and as he led her around the room, they moved with the fluid grace of water displaying such effortless beauty that many couples had paused to watch them in their movements.

"You are grinning, master. Do I want to know?"

He chuckled seductively. "Of course you should. Look around, Seras Victoria. Of all these sill mortals playing at nobility and the lines of great royalty in this room, it is you who is attracting every male eye."

Her eyes darted around the room quickly before settling somewhere around his throat. And, while her stare and expression never shifted, a soft blush crept up on her cheeks.

"They are looking at you, master."

"No, my No-Life Queen, they are looking at you."

"And you find this funny?"

"No, Seras, you see before you the glee of a man who knows he has been prized with the company of the best."

The flush on her cheeks blossomed redder and he let his laughter flow through the room, proud of his draculina and proud that he had claimed her.

**~x~**

"Look at them, at how they dance."

"Are those the vampires?"

"Those are they. The entire ball is to introduce them to the world."

"But why would Her Majesty want to openly discuss the vampire problems in the country when the monarchy always tried to hide them before?"

"Everyone in this room is either party to the secret of the Hellsing Institute or is from a country having their own problems with vampires. It is hardly an _open_ display."

"Still…."

"I think Her Majesty is trying to send a message to the world that we are still a force to be reckoned with."

"A gamble since the world knows that the only two countries left with a stable government are the Colonies and China."

"I think it is a message to the new sort of kingdom."

"Soon, the world will be over run with them…. You know, I hear that some of those Yankee scientists have found a new solar system out there. There have been talks of colonizing it in the next century or so."

"Be that as I may, we still need to protect our country now and those two are our best method of doing it."

"Mm."

"What?"

"I wonder if doing this will make them larger targets."

"Concerned for the welfare of two vampires?"

"If they are our best hope, yes."

"Don't worry. I've seen the archive footage. Their enemies do not stand a chance."

"We shall see."

**~x~**

"Report."

"I have found the current facilities for the Freaks."

Elliot could hear the intense glee in the vampire's voice as he stood waiting with ill concealed anxiousness before his master.

"Do they know you've found them?"

"No."

"Will tomorrow night be too late to pursue?"

"…No," the vampire answered reluctantly, his tone reminding Elliot markedly of a small child who has been denied a pleasure.

"Then we will take a day to organize and go after them then." He paused, lips quirking a bit. "I'm assuming my soldiers have been…trained to your standards now."

Alucard grinned. "My police-girl has done an adequate job with my…help."

"If I have to hire a full time shrink to keep my men sane enough for battle, I'm going to hurt you, Alucard."

"They should not be so weak."

"Go away."

"Yes, my master."

Elliot stared at the empty space where the vampire had stood, thoughts momentarily diverted from the new task at hand.

"Like a little kid."

He laughed quietly before standing to go find Winter, still grinning as he shut the door behind him.

**~x~**

The scene outside the medical complex was still and eerily quiet. Three teams had been sent in to subdue who – or what – was inside. For the purpose of covert operations, Winter had borrowed Aidan from the Elite Squad to use as a partner while the other two and the two vampires went in from different points of entry. Two teams of twenty waited outside with Elliot Hellsing, waiting to see if they would be needed.

"Get information from them. Steal data, capture and interrogate, find security feeds or do things the vampire way if necessary."

"Do you realize, my master, that there may very well be humans who have that knowledge? Are you prepared for their death?"

He had locked eyes with the vampire, feeling the weight of the gaze of every soldier around him, including the formidable draculina, as they had waited for his answer. He had known from the moment the words left Alucard's mouth that it was a test. It was a measure of who he was and how far he'd go.

For the first time in his life, Elliot had wanted a cigarette.

"You heard my orders, vampire."

"But –" Ethan had started before Elliot cut him off.

"Any human who is in that building has given up on their right to our protection. My orders stand."

Alucard's maniacal laughter had been as a battle cry, stiffening the backs of all who stood there.

"Yes, my master."

Seventy minutes had passed since then and so far two teams had returned, laden with information. They had copies of files, technology, procedures, and video feeds. It was enough to keep analysis going for at least a week. Pleased, Elliot looked for the return of his vampires as the only remaining Hellsing operatives in the building. The air around them crackled with a mixture of success and anxiousness as they waited for the all clear. Still, silence reigned as they watched feeling each second tick by.

An explosion ripped through the silences and the night was filled with golden light as fire tore through the building and poured out of every opening. Elliot grabbed Winter and turned his back to the wave of fragmented glass that struck at the waiting troops, ignoring the wry look on her face at his protection. The destruction settled into a steady blaze that consumed the building as they looked on.

Eternity lived in seconds as Winter gripped his hand when they realized that there was still no sign of the vampires. His eyes roamed over each shadow, hoping to find some trace of them when he heard Winter gasp. He looked to where she pointed and felt his own jaw go slack at the sight.

Silhouetted against the flames stood the two vampires locked in an embrace so fierce that it made the burning edifice behind them seem tame. Their hands grasped at each other with desperation and familiarity, echoing thoughts of reunited lovers in the hearts of those who watched.

Elliot could only watch, captivated by the purity of raw emotions in the display before him. He might have stood there for hours if not for the way Winter suddenly clutched his arm and the sound of her shaky breath in his ear. Glancing down, he found her looking up at him with an expression entirely inappropriate for where they were. Energy charged through him and knew he had to do something. Fast.

"Alucard. Seras."

The two slowly disengaged and looked to their master, bodies still pressed against each other, eyes yet clouded with an emotion indefinable and out of his understanding.

"Did you complete your mission, vampires?"

Alucard grinned, stepping away from his draculina and walking to where Elliot and his troops stood, his companion following close behind him. He did not stop until he as but a few feet from the young leader.

"Mission complete."

"Good. We shall return. Let's go."

The vampire smirked, turning to stroke a finger down one side of his companion's face. She followed the motion with her head, ever so slightly trying to prolong the touch. His smirk widened into a grin and he stepped to wrap an arm around her only to still when her face froze. Her eyes pierced the teams that stood a few feet off, but by the time either man had looked her eyes were looking away. As they watched, the aura of warmth that had begun to cloak her fell away. Each muscle in her face stilled and each muscle in her body calmed.

Her mask had returned.

**~x~**

"It's the new Kingdom of Romania."

"Are you sure?"

Aidan looked at the leader of the Hellsing Institute with a wry smile. "We have enough data here to confirm it twice over. It's them."

"Why here?" Winter asked from her position at a table across the room. She kicked her feet up on the smooth surface and looked at them in vague concentration. "Why bother with us?"

"From the data, it looks like they have factories all over Europe. We were the first but, primarily, I think, this is because they found the technology here. Does the Dark Lord have anything to say on it?" Aidan asked, turning fully away from the computer to face the young leader.

Elliot shook his head. "Alucard hasn't spoken of any information he might have gained at the compound. I haven't point blank forced him to answer. I thought it would be best to see what we could find on our own first."

"Still a bit upset is he?"

"Just a bit," Winter commented, voice colored with irony. "So, what do we do with this information?"

"Not sure," Elliot admitted. "I'm going to report it to the Queen and heads of state, but it's not like we have any protocols set up for demanding a nation of bloodsuckers keep their research in their own country."

"What a pity," the Irishman commented, going back to his computer. "I'd love to sit in on that meeting."

"Wouldn't we all?"

**~x~**

"Give me orders."

Elliot slowly put down the pen he'd been writing with and looked up at the vampire who had appeared silently in his office where he stood looking intently at the face of Elliot's grandfather. Alucard had actually been avoiding him for more than a week, coming into his presence only when summoned. Quiet reports had even mentioned that he hadn't been seen in the company of his fellow vampire, as had previously been common practice.

"What sort of orders would you like, Alucard?"

"Give me something to destroy. Let me be your left hand. Let me massacre your enemies as those who came before you did."

Elliot dipped his chin slightly. "Do you have any idea what happened?"

The vampire finally looked over at him, orange lenses covering his eyes. The look was brief and he turned it back to the painted face before him.

"An idea? Yes. A factual answer? No."

The young Hellsing groaned. "Dammit." Suddenly rising to his feet, he went to look out the only window the room afforded.

"How interesting to see a member of the Hellsing family concerned for the mental welfare of one of their pet vampires."

Elliot gave him a glare, turning to lean one shoulder on the hard stone wall.

"You may think it strange, Alucard, but I think Seras is special. I found her when I needed her the most and she came without hesitation. And even with the cold face, she's shown that she _does_ care about this organization and the people in it. She has given me sound advice again and again.

"And she seemed to know when I needed her. When I needed someone to reassure me or when I just needed a calm presence in the room. She came. She helped me.""

He sighed and pulled away from the wall only to fall back against it, facing fully away. He looked at a now openly curious Alucard and drew up the corners of his mouth.

"She is like the older sister I never had. And, for a while, it was nice to see that she seemed sort of happy and now…."

"It is fascinating how my little draculina draws the affections of others to her. She can commit atrocities and deeds that in others would strike fear and loathing all with a cold and remorseless face, yet, everyone is taken in and wants to be close to her."

Elliot looked at the vampire straight in the eye, straight through the dark lenses, and smiled.

"You can hardly talk. I may not have been there at the time of her turning, but to me it looks like you have it the worst of all. She drew you in straight from the start and you made it so you could be near her forever."

Alucard grinned. "Very true, master. So, does that mean I am the one who should be the most upset and disturbed when she is like this, by your reasoning?"

"Yes, I think it does."

"So what are your orders?"

"Well, Alucard, I have something for you to kill."

**~x~**

Blood covered the entire scene, drawing more attention to the spatterings of black and other colors as anomalous. Alucard stood, head thrown back in a mad gleeful cackle, hair grown long and fluttering around him in a non-existent wind. Before him, on the floor, lay a Freak as well as various parts of what could have been human, ghoul or vampire remains. The masses of flesh had been rent into shreds and made to look like so much meat.

Clutching his arm, the Freak tried to crawl away from the mad vampire but the movement drew Alucard's attention and he stepped forward, reaching an unnaturally long arm to the struggling figure. Without any apparent effort, he ripped one of his arms off and brought it to his mouth, tipping his head back to catch the falling blood. When he was finished, he did the same to the Freak's head.

After every last drop had been drunk, he threw the head to the ground with a laugh and turned to calmly walk from the room, pausing only long enough to pick up his fallen hat.

The three members of the Elite Squad along with the human Trashman and Hellsing leader straightened away from the computer screen that had been displaying the Hellsing's pet vampire's acts of carnage for the past twenty minutes. They all looked at each other, slightly pale of countenance.

"Well, then. Let's not ever make Lord of Scary Violent Death really mad then, shall we?"

Everyone else in the room spoke at once, emphatic in their response.

"Agreed."

**~x~**

"He is still alive, master. They presented him and his companion at the royal court."

"So they woke him at last. Good."

"Also, our newest facility in Brighton was exposed. We have reason to believe they suspect us now."

"Have there been any movements to come here?"

"Not that we've seen."

"Pity….Let us extend him an invitation."

"Yes, master."

"He must come here. I must see him suffer."

"Yes, master."

* * *

AN: Yeah, I posted the last chapter and then didn't put pen to paper until five days later. My brain has been MUSH.

Thank you for all your kind words. I'm glad that people like my story as I am quite proud of it, even if it isn't quite up to my normal standards of writing. *shrug*

Please don't kill me for this chapter. I should have the next one up soon, depending on how hectic the holiday is. Also the next chapter will be the beginning of the end. I'm _thinking_ that there will be a three chapter finale with a final chapter sum up/epilogue.

I do have vague plans for more stories in this universe though, if anyone wants them.

And I had my employee proof read for me so hopefully I caught everything.

Til we meet again.


	6. ‘chameleon boy’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

* * *

**~x~**

'**chameleon boy'**

**~x~**

"How are these connected to you, Alucard?"

"What makes you think they are connected to me at all, master?'

Elliot glared at him from over the open file in his hands before throwing it down on the desk, scattering pictures across the polished surface.

"Your name is written in blood on the walls of each of these scenes. Don't be annoying on purpose."

The dark haired demon smirked. "You sound just like your great-grandmother."

"Yes and, from what Seras tells me, she liked to shoot you a lot. Would you like me to follow in those footsteps as well?'

Alucard laughed. "Save the bullets. In truth, I have no idea what these scenes of massacre have to do with me, though I could hazard a guess."

"And that would be…?"

"I imagine it is an invitation."

Elliot frowned. "An invitation for what?"

Alucard shrugged. "I could not say. Hopefully for an opportunity to kill something."

The Hellsing leader's frown deepened, the line between his brows becoming prominent as he looked at the master vampire. "I would have thought you'd that you'd had plenty to kill lately. You've handled almost every mission on your own for the past month or so. Ever since…."

"It's not enough. It's never enough," Alucard declared, a touch of something else in his voice. "Now, if you don't need me, master?"

"Go on," Elliot allowed, waving his hand in dismissal. When the vampire had left, he stood and began to pace the small space of his office.

Every record they had of the vampire Alucard had indicated he was a remorseless killer, expert at what he did. He relished each kill and would drag out a fight just to keep him from boredom, a boredom that seemed to set in even more towards the end of Integra Hellsing's era. It was then, that in her journal's, she commented that he started acting more and more reluctant to go on simple missions – unless accompanied by his fledgling. Still enthralled in the art of massacre, he seemed only to stir in excitement over great fights, happy only when there was a chance, however remote, that he might be defeated.

And when he was awoken again, he seemed to find everything but taunting those around him a bore. All his concentration seemed focused on his draculina. He spent months hounding her, badgering her until – at last- she seemed to fall victim to his efforts and was beginning to show signs of life.

Only for it to change in a moment.

And then Alucard changed.

Elliot stopped pacing and stepped up to the small window, looking out onto the still sight of a sleeping London. For the first time, he wondered if she was more than a puzzle to the master vampire, more than a companion created to pass the time. More, even than a woman who had captivated Alucard just as she had captivated the hearts of those around her.

Perhaps, she was the last remnants of his humanity.

With a heavy sigh, he turned from the window and went back to his duties, looking at the scattered pictures on his desk with a renewed confusion and worry.

**~x~**

"You look lovely tonight, Seras. Thank you so much for coming with me."

The draculina didn't bother to look over the fitted black dress she wore, similar to the one she'd worn at the royal presentation, and instead looked around the crowded walkways of the theater as the many denizens milled about during the brief intermission.

"If it pleases you, Miss Shannon. I used to attend the theatre regularly with Integra before her marriage. We both rather enjoyed our outings with the Bard."

Winter nodded, bothered all the more with the toneless speech now that she had a comparison.

"Were you fond of _The Tempest_ then?"

"No," the other woman answered, starting back to where they had been sitting. "I preferred _A Midsummers Night's Dream _and _Much Ado About Nothing_. Integra did like to compare me to Miranda, though."

"Oh?" Winter queried, genuinely curious as they reentered their box. "How?"

"Miranda was innocent. She disobeyed her father and what she was taught and fell in love with the handsome man who promised her change. And, in the end, she is swept away to a whole new world, different from everything she had known, with only the promise that it would be better."

"So, I'm guessing you were an innocent when you were…turned."

The draculina nodded. "I was nearly twenty and still a virgin."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Winter scoffed, a slight flush on her cheeks.

"It is by no means a bad thing. Because of it, I was able to be turned and brought to Hellsing. Still, I was definitely an innocent. In many ways."

The younger girl frowned at her companion as they sat in their seats, waiting for the second act to start. For a moment, she worried her lip, hesitating, before mentally straightening her back and asking a question she'd wanted to ask for nearly a year.

"Seras…if you are happy you came to Hellsing…why do you act like this? Why do you act like someone stole your soul away from you?"

Slowly, the vampire turned to look at Winter and, for a few brief seconds, Winter felt she would drown in the sorrow that reflected in her deep blue eyes. Then, it was over; her mask was back on and her eyes shone like cold rubies.

"It is for the best. For everyone."

**~x~**

Aidan ducked quickly to avoid a flying helmet as it soared across the room, clanging harmlessly against a wall before dropping noisily to the floor below. He perked his head up and frowned at Winter where she stood, arm still stretched out from the throw.

"Can you _not_ throw things at me, Irish Deviltry? I'd much rather not have to suffer bruises from random armaments."

"I'll try not to. But I'm _not _leaving the room."

"Why not?" was the harried response.

"Better acoustics in here. If I'm going to throw metal around, I want to hear it."

"Should I _ask_ why you are throwing around ancient weapons?" Ethan asked, poking his head into the room along with an obviously curious Sakura.

"Frustrated, mostly."

"Would this be about the Mistress of Muted Masks?"

"Yep." Winter picked up a mace and threw it underhand, frowning at the rather lackluster thumb it made upon landing. "I think she is doing it because of us."

"Us how?" Ethan asked, voice slightly tense as it always seemed to be when discussing Hellsing's draculina.

"She did seem to be looking our way when her face froze," Aidan commented as he stood up and joined Winter where she stood next to a pile of random armaments.

"I meant more that for some reason she's got it in her head that being emotionless is better for everyone. Which makes me think that she is trying to protect us."

"What an interesting observation, little one."

The four humans turned to look at the master vampire as he stepped into the room from a gapping pool of nothing.

"I try to be observant, Alucard. Though I didn't think you were that big a fan of listening in to other people's conversations."

Aidan scoffed. "He is. Count Ultra-Full-of-It likes to listen to half the shit we say. He just doesn't always say anything."

"True, Irishman," Alucard granted, stepping up to he and Winter. "What _are_ you doing, little one?"

"I'm throwing precious ancient armaments against the wall to vent frustration at being unable to get a straight answer from Seras. Primarily because I like the sound," Winter answered in her usual non-nonsense cheerful tone. "Would you like to join me?"

Alucard looked at her then at the pile of arms at her feet and then at the items on the floor across the room.

"Yes, I think I will."

**~x~**

"You really shouldn't have put a hole through the wall, master."

"I fixed it," came the petulant reply as the master vampire took a seat opposite the blonde vampire. "And that was a week ago. Why are you still mentioning it?"

"Master Elliot saw you in the armory. He told me to remind you."

Winter giggled from her spot by the fireplace. "He's just jealous that we didn't invite him in on the fun." She closed her book and rose, making her way to the chessboard to take the observer's seat. "He always was a bit of a spoilsport when he wasn't let in on the fun."

Alucard smiled at her appreciatively. "Always a pleasure to know where my allies are, little one."

"Were you allies ever in question, master?" the draculina asked, making the opening move.

He frowned at her. "Sometimes I wonder."

Her gaze rose to meet his. "That is just being silly."

His frown grew slightly petulant and Winter had to stifle a laugh. At times, the draculina's monotone turned what might have been a casual statement into a rough put down. She often found it hilarious. Especially when it was aimed at the master vampire.

"I'm glad you find us amusing, Miss Shannon."

"One should find entertainment where one can."

Alucard glared at her but she merely returned his fierce look with an affectionate smile and the two vampires resumed their chess match. Winter slowly let the humor drain from her as she watched, thoughts returning once more to the various problems Hellsing was facing, including the cold faced draculina and the scenes of gore with Alucard's name writ in blood at each location.

An indeterminable amount of time passed before a move on Alucard's part shook her from her reverie.

"I've noticed something, Alucard."

"Fascinating. I'm glad to know that you do, indeed, have the ability to observe things."

She gave him a repressing look before continuing. "I've been watching you play chess for months now."

"Yes, you have, little one."

"You never sacrifice your queen. Even if it means a more difficult tactic, you never do. Why?"

Alucard look to her, approval sparkling in his eyes. "A keen observation indeed, little one. Perhaps you have more potential than I thought."

"Uh, thanks? Are you going to answer me?"

Slowly, he picked his queen from the board and held it up, the carved face of some long ago queen shining black in the low light.

"A queen is the most valuable piece on the board. It is the right hand of an unmovable king and is the power of his army. It is truly the most important piece on the board. Only a fool would sacrifice his queen." He slowly put the piece back where had taken it from. "Only a fool would give up what is most important to him."

Winter's breath caught. Looking not at herself, nor the carved ebony, Alucard's eyes were fixed on the silent draculina across from him. His gaze locked onto her as she sat, eyes turned into the chessboard, refusing to meet his.

Slowly, Winter nodded and made a quick and quiet departure from the room and the heavy atmosphere that had flooded it, lessons on chess left far behind.

**~x~**

He looked at her, where she stood apart from, and yet partially the cause of, the massacre around her. Blood streaked her face and arms, even her legs. Her eyes were fixed on some part distant and he could feel her try to control the bloodlust that threatened to overcome her even then, after the battle was done. Her efforts to stipend her short breaths led to jerked movements that drew more attention to her feminine assets.

He thought she was the most captivating and desirable thing he had ever seen.

Having no desire to stamp out his own instincts, he appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her. All of his senses sought for even the slightest of reactions as his hands roamed over her, possessively laying claim to every inch of her body. There was nothing. Even when he turned her in his arms and lapped his tongue across her bare flesh, lapping up all traces of blood on her face and neck, she refused to react.

With a growl, he crushed her to him, pinning her hips against his and lowered his lips to speak directly into her ear.

"Why do you deny yourself, Seras? Why do you stand there, covered in blood, and deny yourself something we both know you want? Why do you deny _me_?"

When only silence answered him, he pulled back and captured her lips in a searing kiss, a one-sided kiss. With a roar, he pulled away from her, the urge to completely destroy someone coursing through him. There was a sort of frustrated desperation overcoming him, one that he did not want to admit to - to himself or the petite figure standing before him. For a moment he considered ripping through every wall she had erected in her mind and _making_ the mask she wore shatter into so many pieces. Even with her strength and abilities, it would be easy enough for him to do. It would only take….

Drawing a shaky breath, he took another step back from her. He couldn't do it. It would be paramount to rape and, if nothing else, it mattered very much to him that she not hate him. It mattered more than he thought it ever would….

"Master. There is a message."

He sighed and looked at her. "And why, police-girl, should I care?"

"It's addressed to you."

He turned to look at the words being writ by an unseen hand across the wall. The blood smeared quickly and after a minute a crude taunt was splashed across the wall.

**Alucard. Fake Dracula. Answer to the crimes of your past.**

He looked at the message and then down to his draculina, a bit of his humor returning.

"I say we ignore it."

She gave him a steady look.

"You know that that is probably a stupid decision, master."

"I do."

"Your decision to make."

"Yes, it is."

"Let's go."

**~x~**

"The invitations do not seem to be working, master."

"As it seems."

"Do you have any new orders then, master?'

"No, I believe it is time I handled this myself."

"Very well, master."

**~x~**

"She's been avoiding you."

Ethan looked up at Aidan before looking back down at the training fields. "She can't avoid people she has no regular contact with."

"Why is she avoiding you, Ethan?"

"Aidan –"

"No, I'm right. Whenever you enter a room, she leaves it. She gives you no direct orders. When all of us are gathered together, she acts as if you don't exist."

The Northerner groaned, his head dropping to his arms as he bent his body further over the turret he was leaning on. A second passed and he turned his face slightly, eyeing the Irishman through his hair.

"I don't know. But it started that night."

Aidan looked at him for a minute before bursting into laughter. Ethan grimaced and looked away until the other man subsided and dropped a hand on his shoulder in a rough pat of condolence.

"So, you're the cause, for whatever reason."

"Apparently."

"Good luck to you if Mighty Morbid Power King finds out that bit of information."

"Yeah, thanks."

"I try."

**~x~**

"You cannot hide from me forever."

She looked at him from where she stood under one of the trees that spotted the grounds of the Tower, almost entirely in the open.

"I am hardly hiding from you, Alucard."

"Don't play games with me, Seras. I will win."

"Will you?"

"I will indeed," he whispered, appearing behind her and dragging her into his arms.

"And how do we know if we are playing a game?"

He growled and turned her face towards him, fingers lightly gripping her chin. "Do not play coy. We both know that you are playing a deep game. And you are hiding. You are hiding from _me_ of all people."

"I'm not," she persisted, meeting his gaze unflinchingly.

"Seras Victoria, do not lie to me."

"I-I'm not lying, master."

His hands gripped her harder at the break in her voice. Her demeanor had yet to change but that small sound made his heart jump to life in excitement.

"You _are_ hiding. Why, my draculina, w_hy_ are you hiding?"

"I-I'm really not, master."

He shook her lightly. "Answer me, Seras."

"Please, master…."

He looked down at her, sensing for the first time a hint of mental chaos under her hardened façade. Like the briefest cry, it was there and then was swept away as if it had never existed. Yet, it was in that moment that something occurred to him that he had never really thought of before in all his long hours trying to puzzle out the change in his draculina.

Perhaps it was not only them she was running away from.

He growled softly and pulled her to him in an embrace designed to give comfort. To whom, he could not say.

**~x~**

"I would like to take the next away mission alone."

Elliot looked up at the draculina where she stood, formed from darkness, a few feet from his desk.

"Getting bored?'

"No, master."

"Then may I ask why?"

"You are my master. You can ask whatever you like."

"Then, please."

"I need to be away from everyone. Especially my master."

His lip twitched. "I assume you mean the annoying bloodsucker and not myself."

"Yes, master."

"Then, absolutely. Anything to make you happy."

"Thank you, master."

He handed her a file folder from the stack on his desk with a smile.

"Come play a game of chess with me when you get back."

"Yes, master."

**~x~**

He watched her enter the quiet church and couldn't help but let a grin grow on his face. Even from where he stood, he could feel the aura of power she casually tried to conceal. She was true Nosferatu, a No-Life Queen. A prize. Rumors had spread about her months before when he had first started sending his people out to capture Hellsing's attention. She had slaughtered wave after wave of his minions without the slightest hesitation. None of the silent observers that had reported back had seen any small sign of emotion on her beautiful face.

She was perfection.

She was not, however, his prey.

"Stop hiding in the shadows."

He laughed at her sharp command and stepped from the shadows to stand in the open space behind the altar. Her blunt eyes raked over him, quickly examining his person and presence.

"You are not who I was sent to exterminate."

"No, draculina, I am not. I disposed of that riff-raff as soon as I heard that Hellsing had sent their vampire to come fix the…problem."

"Who are you?"

He held up a finger and wagged it back and forth. "Ah, ah, ah. Ladies first."

"You know that I am from Hellsing. By rights, you should know my name."

"Indulge me."

She stared at him for a full minute, as if contemplating whether or not to shoot him right there. After consideration, she apparently thought better of it and instead straightened her back and gave a succinct reply.

"Seras Victoria."

"Ah…Miss Victoria. I had wondered if it was truly you. You made quite a name for yourself during the Millennium fiasco and the years following. The Germans never could get their act together. Still, all around the world we heard of you. Such passion, such innocent fervor. So, from all recent reports, I had to doubt it would really be you."

"Reports?"

"I must say," he went on breezily, disregarding her question entirely, "I am quite a fan of yours."

"I'm thrilled to hear it."

"So fascinating a sarcasm given in such monotone." He leaned forward, bracing his hands against the altar. "Tell me, fair Seras, could I persuade you to come with me of your own accord?"

"I am Hellsing's vampire."

"Yes, yes. I understand you are bound but from what my spies tell me, they are _not_ the seals of your former master. You have no seals on your powers, no interference of your will." He grinned. "No, you are only bound to Hellsing. Such a meek binding, indeed."

He grinned, eyes lighting with an unholy glow as he spoke his next words, challenge dripping from every syllable.

"You could break it."

She stared at him in silence, his words echoing through the charged stillness that fell between them. Neither moved a muscle as they locked eyes and braced wills at the bold declaration he laid at her feet. Finally, she raised her chin in such a way that she was able to look down her nose at him.

"I could. I am beyond such weak bindings. However, I chose not to."

He sighed dramatically. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Ah, well. I prepared for such an eventuality."

"Prepared how?"

"Well, you see, it's not really you I'm interested in. Not entirely, anyway. It really has more to do with your former master. He has a debt owed to me and I find I rather like the idea of using you to settle it."

"You will use me for nothing."

"Don't fool yourself into thinking you have a choice."

Before she could blink, shots rang out from automated weapons positioned around the empty church. Simultaneously, bullets ripped through the unflinching draculina and he knew she had chosen not to doge, confident as her sire always had been that she could repair any damage, if necessary. And so she would be able to…eventually.

He grinned as he walked towards where she had fallen to her knees, a scream of pain ripped from her throat.

"Did you know that a cunning fellow managed to find a way of storing liquid silver into bullets so they would dissolve directly into the blood stream upon entry? Fascinating isn't it? He _says_ it was meant to be an effective killing method for the undead but really, for us _true_ Nosferatu, it is more like a truly heinous torture session."

He knelt down before her and gently cupped her cheek in his hand, an oddly sympathetic look on his features.

"I'm sorry to say that while you _will_ recover, it will take you several hours to do so. _Just _long enough to return you to my kingdom."

She neglected to respond verbally even while her eyes shown like daggers as she glared at him. He rose to his feet with a careless shrug and pushed the button that would summon his retrieval team. As he watched, he was forced to admit to himself that he was _very_ impressed at how long she was able to put up a fight, even while in excruciating pain. Still, it ended quickly enough before she was loaded into the air-bound carrier and strapped to a seat across from him.

"Oh," he remarked, sitting back in his chair and crossing his legs. "I forgot to introduce myself, how careless. My name is Vladimir but, if you like, you may call me Dracula."

**~x~**

"She's been taken."

"Are you sure? I know she is overdue for check-in but…."

"Yes, master. I can no longer feel her presence. Not in London, not in England."

"I…see. Can you find her?"

"Yes."

"Well then, I only have one order."

"Yes, my master?"

"Search and Destroy. Until they are gone as if they never were."

"Yes, master."

* * *

AN: Honestly, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. I'm just not entirely sure how _else_ to do it so here we are. My apologies for introducing a non-series bad guy _so_ late in the game but hopefully the next couple of chapters will...compensate. I tried to hint that not all was right in the state of Denmark..er..Romania...but I'm not entirely sure how well that went over. I didn't see any comments...

Enough babbling.

To anyone who pays attention to such things, the past two chapter titles have been a bit...looser...a fit than previous but still fairly apt in my mind.

I can also give a veiled '_preview for next time'_ by saying that a lot of what is going on will be explained in the next chapter.

Thank you for ALL the lovely reviews. Makes me feel some validation for abandoning my non-fanfiction writings for this.

Til we meet again.


	7. ‘overweight’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to Metropolis Kid and KawaiiKittyChan who left such reviews of awesomness that it made me want to write more, to Hannahmpg whose review made me laugh so hard I showed it to anybody who was willing to read it and to Syrenity, my minion, who agreed to be my beta and proofread my horrible mess of a chapter.

Note: I noticed amongst my traffic that there is one person from Romania who reads this, to you, I apologize for any errors. I have friends in England but none there.

* * *

**~x~**

'**overweight'**

**or**

'**department of backstory'**

**~x~**

She was trapped.

Her prison was filled with beautiful furniture, lavish decorations, lush carpets and an extravagant bed. The walls were white washed and a cheery fire combated the freezing cold that soaked in through the ornamental windows. It was the very lap of luxury; no one could ask for better.

Still, it was a prison.

When she had woken from her dazed slumber, she had found herself in the room at the top of a tall structure, probably a castle, her clothing changed. The long fitted sleeves of her black under dress showed through from where her white overdress fell away at the elbows, styled in fashions common to the fifteenth century. The full skirt rustled around her when she walked and only a century of vampire instincts kept her from tripping over the flowing fabric. She felt somewhat like Rapunzel held in the tower after her hair had been shorn off, trapped without hope of rescue.

And she was truly trapped. The strange attack that the false Dracula had assaulted her with had weakened her greatly. She could feel her powers regenerating slowly but it would be days before she would be back to her full strength. Even more, the strained bindings of Hellsing clouded her mind, triggered by her impermissible leave from the institute. Weakened and alone, she found it hard to muster any hope that she would be freed.

So, instead, she passed the time stolen from her staring out the window at the bleak scene of winter below, reflections of the images haunted her floating to the surface of the murky lake below.

**~x~**

_"She was so naïve when she came to us but, even then, she had a will of iron."_

_An aged blonde woman blew out a cloud of smoke as she looked at a portrait on the wall of a smiling blue-eyed blonde standing behind a younger version of herself. Beside her on the floor sat a young boy of eight, staring at his mother's face, obviously enraptured with his mother's words._

_"I don't think any of us realized how strong her will was then. Perhaps Alucard since he was the one who brought her to us, but almost every action she made belied the iron face of her determination. She second guessed her abilities and hesitated to accept her new nature."_

_The woman laughed and ruffled the hair of her young son._

_"She never lost that innocence, even after thirty years of being called a monster. She was still all sunshine and smiles even when we put the binding on her." She paused, staring at the portrait. "She saved us all, I think. A strong light in the darkness of our own lives."_

_"I wish I could meet her, mother."_

_"One day you will, Henry. One day you will."_

**~x~**

"You look like a princess locked in the tower. I'd almost say you looked wistful, but you seem to be beyond any sort of emotional display, don't you?"

She turned to look at the man who had suddenly appeared in the doorway. If not for the circumstances, she might have found him handsome. He had a tall frame and athletic build displayed elegantly in his darkly colored finery. His eyes sparkled red over a pert aquiline nose and his black hair was loosely tied behind his neck in a way reminiscent of a butler she once knew.

Still, she cared nothing for him and after glancing her eyes over him, she returned her gaze to the frozen grounds below.

"And she chooses to ignore me, just as her master chose to ignore all those beneath him. Did he pass that on to you in the change then, little draculina?"

"He is no longer my master and I am no longer his fledgling. If you think that holding me hostage will bring him here, you are deluding yourself. He rightfully assumes that I can take care of myself."

"Ah, but can you, my pet? You stand here without any flight even before the man who holds you captor."

"For the moment."

"Oh how delightful. You managed to be threatening without even flashing those lovely eyes at me. Did you know that when you were overcome in pain, they turn blue? I'm sure you do. It almost makes me want to torture you to see if I could make them turn blue again."

The only response she gave him was to look at him over her shoulder briefly before returning her gaze to the outside world.

"Perhaps not. Perhaps I should wait for your master, pardon, your _former_ master to make his appearance. What a delight it will be to watch him suffer so."

Laughing, he stepped up to her and drew a cold finger along the line of her pale cheek. She allowed the touch for a moment before turning to face him, bodies now only inches from each other.

"You did not listen. Alucard is too smart to come after me when he knows I can fend for myself. Why would he risk himself for someone's petty plans?"

The false Dracula smiled. "Perhaps you are right. Perhaps he _will_ abandon you to your fate. Or, perhaps, it is as you say and he has that confidence in you that you will return triumphant." He reached out a hand to caress her again but she nimbly stepped away from the touch, drawing another grin from him.

"Whatever the case may be, Seras, for the moment you are mine, my little princess in the tower. And I am beginning to think that it would be so much better to keep you here for myself, until eternity."

He stepped away and, with a courteous bow, left the room and her, alone with her thoughts once more.

**~x~**

Even with the heavy curtains drawn to block the weak sun, the daylight interrupted her sleep. Not that her sleep was ever restful anymore. Since the time of her sealing, her dreams had been filled with visions, of the future, of the past, of the present and of what she had witnessed but not seen….

_**x**_

_"Why did you choose her?" a kind looking elderly butler asked the fierce vampire with a glint in his eyes._

_"She chose herself."_

_And, as the vampire went on in defense of his statement, the butler smirked at him, twinkle in his eye, knowing that it was far from the whole truth._

_**x**_

_The master vampire watched from the shadows as the blonde female police officer ran from the ghouls chasing her only to be captured by the vampire that controlled them. She struggled fruitlessly in his grasp, eyes still blazing with resolve even as the vampire threatened to rape her brutally before killing her. Even then she never gave up._

_**x**_

_A young woman with long dark hair and sharp blue eyes held a newborn infant, head already covered with blonde hair as it stared unblinkingly at his mother._

_"Oh, you tired your mam out, little one. But don't worry, mommy will get revenge and make you run a scary institute with a really idiotic vampire mucking about the place."_

_"I resent that," the master vampire voiced from the shadows. "I'm annoying not idiotic."_

_"All the same really."_

_**x**_

_She blushed prettily in her slinky full skirted ballgown as she stepped up to the new monarch of England after Her Majesty's death the year before. He bowed over her hand and kissed it before rising with a smile._

_"I understand that you are actually _older_ than me but, for the moment, all I see is a beautiful young woman that I would love to dance with."_

_"You are a flirt, Your Majesty, and Seras is still so innocent," a blonde woman in an unfashionable suit commented with a chuckle._

_"I promise not to embarrass her too much," he grinned before pulling the young vampire onto the dance floor._

_**x**_

_"Forget everything you have heard from television series, horror films and questionable book series, Henry. None of it is the truth."_

_An aged woman looked down at a young boy of eleven and smiled at his aghast face._

_"Mum, you can't tell me that vampires aren't _real_. They destroyed London!"_

_"I never said they weren't real. I said that what you know is not the truth. But it's time that you learned it. It is who we are and what you will become."_

_The boy nodded, excitement battling happy anxiousness in his eyes. He turned to look at the massive tone his mother had set before him on the massive library table. He then looked up at his mother with something akin to anticipation in his eyes._

_"When will I meet one, mother, a vampire?"_

_"That, I cannot say. There are still Freak vampires on the loose and there is the low level trash that may try and barge in at any time, so I can't make that prediction." She lit a cigar and smiled down at her son. "I Can tell you that one day you will meet a _real_ vampire, a true Nosferatu."_

_"I can't wait," he exclaimed with boyish exuberance._

_The woman laughed dryly. "Don't be so anxious. He's annoying as hell."_

_**x**_

_Two small children, barely old enough to understand the concept of the danger around them, huddled together as they listened to the carnage that surrounded the small hiding place their mothers had stashed them in minutes before. They held each other tight, eyes wide and full of tears as fear kept them silent all while they listened to the pained screams of those lovely women._

_"Mam…," the brunette girl whispered triggering the blonde boy to hold her tighter._

_All their young lives, they had been taught to be silent when mummy told them to be and so they each tried even as fear began to override the old commands._

_"Shh, Wynne. I'll keep you safe. I promise."_

_The girl nodded tearfully and clutched at the boy as the sounds of terror continued._

_**x**_

_A no-longer-old butler and the fierce master vampire watched as the two blonde women disappeared from view, ascending the platform to the blimp, the last words of both echoing between the two men._

_"Such nice women, wouldn't you agree?" the vampire remarked with a smug grin to the traitorous butler. "But they're mine now and _only_ mine. A beloved master only for me and a servant who loves only me."_

_The grin on the vampire's face grew as he stared at the grim look of the other, his next words echoing in the space they stood in, destruction all around them._

_"Neither of them can ever be yours again!"_

_**x**_

_A young man watched screens displaying a security feed, his attention only captured by the possessive words of the master vampire beside him. He tried to comment on the possessiveness but was unable to speak his mind until all thoughts of any speech were torn away from him as the voluptuous draculina they had been watching appeared then from her recent scene of massacre._

_Awe and adoration conflicted for right of expression in his face until the draculina approached the master vampire and embroiled him in an impassioned embrace. For a moment, he looked startled then a little hurt before his features settled into a fierce expression that gave light to only one emotion._

_Seething jealous hatred._

_**~x~**_

Once more, she stood at the window, alone for company aside of a sweet human girl who had brought her a glass of warm, fresh blood and had begged happily to braid and pin up the vampire's hair, claiming to have been a hairstylist in her life before Romania. Then she, too, was gone and once more the vampire stood alone.

"You are beautiful," the false Dracula's voice called out, breaking the silence. "And truly magnificent. Only a fool would deny himself the pleasure of having you be his queen."

He stepped up behind her where she stood yet still, flinching only slight when he reached around her to wrap a necklace of diamonds and hematite around her neck, covering the scars of her turning.

"I would heap jewels upon you and do anything you wished if you would consent to stay here with me of your own will."

Finally, she turned to him. Her eyes stared directly into his as she calmly spoke.

"If you will do anything, I ask that you set me free."

He chuckled delightedly. "Ah, but that would not keep covenant with the first part of the bargain. You must be mine for me to serve you."

Silently, she turned away from him again, dismissing his words completely.

"So amusing the game you play. I wonder, is it love or loyalty that ties you to your little institute and your master. Your expressions make you look incapable of love but only a fool would fail to realize that appearances are most deceiving of all."

Vladimir, King of Romania, stepped from his prisoner and took a seat across the room, casually reclining in the lush chair. A bit of the tenseness in her relaxed as she had to suppress a sigh of relief at the absence of his nearness. Later, she promised herself, she would rip the necklace from her throat and remove its stigma from her self, but, for the moment, she merely turned to face him, playing the audience he silently begged for.

"I bet you do love your former master. How curious a thing. Not," he allowed, lopsided smile claiming his face, "that it isn't fairly common. Most of my little fledglings fell full tilt in love with me and who could blame them?"

He grinned at her hopefully only to receive a blank stare for his efforts. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Still, none of them were the right fit. They could never match me." He sighed deeply, falling into deep thought, or at least giving the appearance of it.

Not for the first time did she wish she still had her Harkkonen so that she might blow the pretender away.

"But you…you fell in love with that monster." He sat up, anger coloring his eyes. "Tell me, Seras, how well do you know your master?"

"As well as I need to," she answered succinctly, her voice giving no hint of doubt.

"Are you so sure? Do you then know that of all our kind he is the most heartless, the most cruel?"

Memories rushed back to that long ago night in the center of destruction and the scene that still lived fresh in her mind as she watched her master's grief over the fallen paladin. She looked at him and let the smallest of smiles show.

"I doubt that."

"You are fooling yourself, child as you are to the likes of both of us. You have not seen what he is capable of."

"Yes, I have."

For the first time, Vladimir glared at her, ire over her stubborn defense of her master overcoming his desire to please and flatter.

"Do you know, then, what debt he owes me?" He did not give her a chance to answer as he stood up and stalked over to her, grabbing her arms fiercely as he stared down at her. "That monster took _everything_ from me!"

He growled before stepping from her and went to one of the fine oil paintings on the wall, a portrait of a beautiful blonde woman.

"She was beautiful. In the sun, her hair shone as gold, in the moon, as silver. She was my everything. My childhood playmate, my first love, my soul, eventually even my lover. She was my Catalina."

He turned to her, such an ancient pain in his eyes that her breath caught. For the first time since her capture, she wondered if there was true reason for it and not just some scam for misplaced rage and idle vengeance.

"Have you ever lost the ones you've loved, my lovely Seras?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever lost your entire world?"

"Yes."

He nodded knowingly, eyes going back to the portrait. "I had a feeling. Your eyes are fathomless, deep enough to drown in. Only someone who has endured _true_ loss has eyes like that." He sighed before continuing.

"To her, I would have given everything. Neither of us were rich, but we were noble, of old families and bluest blood. We might have been happy together, living out our life in as much peace as times such as those might have allowed. We had survived the siege of Napoleon as the empires of the world played with the lands of our people as if they were chess pieces to be moved around at their will."

He looked at her once more, a sad smile on his lips.

"We were both children in a war filled world. We sought only each other but we kept our love pure, waiting until we could be married, which, in the end, was our damnation." He returned his gaze to the portrait once more, his voice turning hard, losing the soft tone of reminiscence.

"He found her one day, in the hours before dusk. She had always been up for any challenge, a risk taker to the core, and when her friend dared her to explore the castle that had once been temporary residence to the beloved voivode, Vlad Draculea III, champion of our people, she accepted. Even when every legend told that the voivode had become a creature of darkness, no one had ever believed he would return to the castle near Bran. But he had.

"She was too beautiful; she captured his attention immediately with her fiery will and with her beauty. She disappeared."

He looked over at his captive, an expression of pain writ on his features.

"A week went by before I was allowed to search for her. When I found her, she was lost to me, a draculina and slave to the Dracula himself."

"Did she return you?" she asked, breaking into his monologue for the first time.

"After a few years had passed, yes. She was given her freedom quickly enough and a share of some power in the Dracula's castle. But, after a time, she came to me, telling me how she missed me and still loved me. She changed me then.

"We were happy for awhile. For nearly ten years, we lived only for each other, but as the years passed, the call became too great for her. His blood called to her and she went to him, promising to return. Months went by, then a year. After _three years_ of her absence, I once more went to the castle. I came here, in fact, to this room, to find her with him, committing that sweetest sin."

Her eyes widened as she looked at the bed she had slept in for the past two days in startled confusion. She was no fool. From the beginning, she had looked at her former master as a sexual creature, lord of carnal pleasures. Still, never since she'd known him had she heard of his doing such things with anyone. It was…startling.

Vladimir, who apparently did not sense her distraction, continued his tragic telling.

"He laughed when he saw me and disappeared from the room. I could only stare as the woman I had loved and lived with most of my life now looked upon me as a pest, a fly that had ruined her enjoyment of a licentious pleasure. It was then that she sent me away and bade me never return. It was then that I knew he had stolen her from me."

He turned to look at her where she stood at the window. His eyes gazed directly into hers as he strode across the space to her, stopping only inches away and peering into her upturned face.

"Twice he stole her from me and twice I felt the grief of losing the one I loved most. Even so, I could have healed, in time. I am man enough to acknowledge that the heart _can_ change. I could let go. But then, not even a few decades later, he forsook her for some silly human that he nearly was killed over and let my Catalina be brutally murdered like so much trash. Fifty years and he was done with her. He stole my world from me without care and for that, I shall repay him."

Gently, he took her hand in his and kissed it.

"You have long passed fifty years, my beautiful Queen. How much longer before he throws you to the side as well? Can you afford to keep your loyalty?"

With one final bow, Vladimir, new King of Romania, exited the room, leaving her to her thoughts.

Missing the small smile upon her lips.

**~x~**

_A little girl watched as she lay on the floor, bleeding and close to death, as the men who murdered her mother and father and injured her gravely raped her mother's corpse even as they laughed and jeered._

_**x**_

_In a scene of chaos, a young woman sat on the ground screaming. Her arm was torn from her and her face was covered in blood from where her eyes were cut from their sockets. In her lap lay the still form of a man, long hair loose, eye patch over one eye and blood covering his clothing from where he bled from the hole in his torso._

_**x**_

_Two blonde women stood in a broken room filled with destruction, one with long blonde hair and blood dripping down her face from an injury to her left eye. Suddenly she screamed._

_"Walter!"_

_The other woman's face did not change, still grim as the first woman spoke softly, words broken._

_"Walter…Walter passed away…just now…."_

_The woman with short blonde hair bowed her head for a moment before looking up, pain writ across her face._

_"Yes, he did."_

_**x**_

_Many years later, the blonde woman with long hair lay dying in her bed, breaths coming in short gasps. Night had fallen and the only light in the room came from a small bedside lamp, casting shadows on the only other person in the room who stood next to her. She stood watching the dying woman, an expression of pain on her yet young features._

_"I think…it's…time now…, Seras."_

_The youthful woman winced, clutching the woman's hand tighter._

_"Integra…"_

_"We both…knew it…it would…happen."_

_"You are leaving me alone. Without you, I have no family."_

_"You still…have…Henry. You…still have…Alucard."_

_The girl smiled sadly. "But you are my sister."_

_The dying woman smiled before gasping._

_"Tell…them…I…love…them…."_

_"Yes, master."_

_Moments later, she was gone. The vampire stood there in silence, tears of blood streaming down her face._

_**x**_

_Chained to the wall, hands bound above their heads, were two figures, one as light as the other dark, woman to his man. Before them stood a blonde man of indeterminate age, blue eyes sparkling in hatred and rage._

_"Finally, you will see what it is to be treated as the demon you are, Seras Victoria. May your dreams haunt you as hell beckons your soul."_

_She stared at him, wordless as her blue eyes reflected shock and betrayal. All through the incantations that were spoken, she stared until at last all life left her eyes and her head dropped to her chest._

_**x**_

_She woke to the smell of blood, Hellsing blood, virginal. Without thought, she reached forward and dragged her tongue across the offered flesh before allowing herself to drink. The blood flowed down her throat, returning strength to her that had been stolen from her many a year past. Slowly, her body regained its normal qualities until she was able to move on her own, breaking her arms free from their bindings and dragging her legs under her._

_It was then that she felt it. Or didn't feel it._

_For the first time since that night in Cheddar so many long years ago, she could not feel the presence of her master. He was still bound and sealed away from the world and away from her._

_And for the first time since that night in Cheddar, she was completely alone._

_**x**_

_It was glorious._

_The rage of flame lit behind her, playing a merry war of heat and sensuality with her master as she clung to him and he to her. His hands gripped her to him and she could feel herself slip further and further into his embrace. He was her everything, her anchor in this world and, soon, he would be the one to finally take the last of her innocence from her._

_Then the moment was shattered by the sound of their master's voice as he called to them, asking a simple question when they looked to him. They approached the gathered soldiers, bodies aching to continue what they had started. Her thoughts were all on him, barely even registering the brief exchange between her masters. And then he was touching her again and every fiber of her being tingled in anticipation._

_Until the random roving of her eyes caught one face in the crowd._

_The sharpshooter, the Northerner, one of the three of the Elite Squad that she had hand picked, created and spent so much time with. One of the few humans she had come to trust and rely on in the strange new world she had found herself in. He stood, staring at her, staring at her master, with only one expression on his face._

_Jealous anger._

_It was happening again._

_**x**_

_"I saw her once, you know," a blonde woman commented to a similarly blonde man as he worked in the study of his ancestral home._

_"Who, darling?" the man replied without looking up from his work._

_"Seras Victoria."_

_The movement of the man at the desk stopped and he looked up to his wife, startled anger in his eyes. The woman did not appear to notice as she looked at a portrait on the wall, one that had been there for many years, of two blonde women in their youth._

_"It was at one of the Royal balls. Everyone used to joke that your mother just brought her because she hated the balls herself and wanted everyone to suffer. I imagine the other one was there, too, but I didn't see him. I didn't see you either."_

_"Where is all this going, Isabelle? You know I hate talking about those two."_

_She turned to look at him, tears in her eyes._

_"But that's the point, Henry. That entire night, everyone kept telling me how much I looked like her! She was infamous and I was so young, I couldn't escape it. You say you hate her so much but you married me and I look so much like her! Does that mean you see her every time you look at me? What does that mean?"_

_He stood and walked to her, putting a calming hand on her cheek._

_"I see you. I always have. I promise. Now, calm down. It isn't good for the baby for you to be so upset."_

_She nodded, sniffling. He pulled her into his arms and held her to him even as her eyes stared off, doubt clouding her gaze._

_**x**_

She stood at the window. She had opened the window to the night and snowflakes had started to flutter in, sticking to her pale cold skin. She looked like the Ice Queen of legend when he walked in and found her. For the first time, she spoke to him first.

"Do you know what it is to be truly alone in the world?"

"I told you, he—"

"Even then, you had family, you had your home. Never once did you mention that you had no place in the world to go nor people to go to." She turned to look at him, a new light in her eyes. "You were deprived of your love, yes, but have you ever _truly_ been alone in the world, torn from everyone you have ever loved and the place you called home, from any other soul that called to yours as kin?"

He stared at her, taken aback at the new tone in her voice. It was defiant and mocking even as it held reflections of despair. She let a few seconds tick by before taking his silence as answer and continuing.

"I have. Twice. And twice, a hand reached towards me, saving me. Twice my master pulled me from the depths of hell and gave me an anchor to this world."

She smiled at him then, the tips of her mouth turning up slightly in a mocking smile.

"You speak of your pain like a practiced thespian, a tragic tale of what you suffered at the hands of the evil villain. But you…you've never known what loss really is. So, if you are going to lecture me or try and convince me to join your side in this farce of a resistance, I suggest you turn around and leave because I am done listening to the ramblings of a self-indulgent child who only lives in the perceived misfortunes of his youth."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "And yes, I believed everything you said but you asked me if I knew him. I'll tell you now what I told you then. I know him as well as I need to.

"Go complain to someone else, I am done listening."

* * *

AN: So this chapter is drastically different from the rest and the traditionally formatting style will be returning next time. It's also much longer.

I have a few questions about reader understanding on this one so please let me know if you have any questions that I need to answer later.

Thank you to every kind review. You are all awesome. The people who work for me are glad for you too since it immediately puts me in a better mood for at least a few minutes.

Til next time.


	8. ‘what if we could’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

Dedication: To everyone who reviewed and told me how much they liked the last chapter. Made the whole weekend less suck.

Note: I apologize in advance. Not the best chapter ever.

* * *

**~x~**

'**what if we could'**

**~x~**

He arrived at the church only an hour after it had been vacated. His heightened sense of smell could still detect gunpowder in the air and the sweet smell of her still pure blood. A quick glance around the small church revealed signs of quickly dismantled gun turrets, one of which that had been left behind in an apparent wish to leave quickly. After a cursory inspection, he removed it from its mounting and deposited it on the ground with intentions of handing it over to the Irish analyst upon his return. The boy did seem to love the little toys of the modern world.

When he was finished, he found the place where the smell of blood was the strongest, some thirty feet from the altar. Some had gathered in small already drying puddles but still other traces were strewn in lines that traced a path to the main entrance.

She hadn't gone without a fight.

He allowed himself a small smile before his eyes took note of a small slip of paper almost completely overcome by shadows on the empty alter. Picking it up, he quickly read through the contents, a distasteful sneer growing on his face. Once finished, he looked around for any further clues the silent church might hold before picking up the turret and disappearing from the empty building.

**~x~**

"Aidan, why do you have a rather large gun sitting precariously on your desk?"

"Because Lord of the Dangerous Death dumped it there along with a note and ordered me to search for an origin. Ordinarily, I'd say eff off until I'd heard from Our Great Master, but I'm a bit afraid of getting eaten."

Winter peered at the gun turret, bending over to bring her face closer to the mechanisms before moving out of his way.

"I'm sure Alucard knows better than to eat any of us."

"So you say. But I'm fairly sure he could make it look like an accident if he wanted to."

She frowned, seeming to be on the verge of that eternal question: how, but seemed to think better of it. She shook her head and sighed.

"How long do you think it will take to figure it out?" she queried, poking at the device slightly. "Oh, and note?"

Without looking away from the turret, Aidan handed her a slip of paper, which she took and read aloud.

_**You refused my many invitations. Can you refuse this one? Come back to where it all began and then you will find her. And me.**_

"Now wasn't that cryptic?" she muttered, placing the note back on his desk.

"My full agreement, my Irish Goddess. Something of a childish note full of self-importance, I must say, since it assumes the reader knows what the hell he is talking about. And, you know, I'm fairly sure that Bloodlust Bastion of Biting has more people he's pissed off than even he can count."

"How charming a sentiment, little Irishman," a dark voice chuckled before its owner appeared behind Aidan as he worked.

"Speak, quite literally, of the Devil," he sighed before looking over his shoulder at the master vampire. "Can't you knock on a door and try _that_ method of entering for once? As a favor?"

"I'm fairly certain you would tell me not to enter so how would that suit my purposes?"

Aidan sighed, returning his focus to the device on his desk while Winter giggled, breaking into full out laughter when Alucard shot her a wry look. Yet, after a moment, she sobered and a serious look entered her eyes.

"Do you have any clue who could have written it, Alucard?"

He frowned down at her. "As Captain Fitzpatrick –"

"Bloody hell, he knows my name. Charming," Aidan muttered ironically as he finally opened the outer casing of the mechanism.

"—mentioned, I have far more possibilities than I have reasonable guesses."

Winter sighed. "Do you think she is really still alive then?"

"She has been dead for a century and a half, little one. But, yes, I do believe she has yet to find her final resting place."

"Wha-…what if she has?"

Suddenly, Alucard grinned, eyes glowing a violent red, and Winter couldn't suppress a sudden shudder at the sight.

"If that is the case, little Wynne, then hell shall be tame compared to my wrath."

**~x~**

For the first time, there was silence.

Since the very beginning, when he gave up his humanity and became a vampire of his own making, there had always been voices. He had drained the contingent of soldiers that had captured him and from then, the whispers of souls not his own had started. He had always been in control of them, but they were always there, a constant drone of a crowd of people forever making noise in the background of his thoughts. It never ended.

And then there came Schodinger and for thirty years, the quite roar of voices became a yelling mass that he had been forced to fight through and destroy, one by one, until there was only one voice not his own.

Hers.

Since the beginning, her voice had been louder than the rest, louder than the infrequent mental orders of his master, louder than any other fledgling he had made. Even when she was still human, staring at him with fierce determination, as she stood captured by a monster with only a monster as her savior, her soul called to him, echoing in his thoughts. Still, after she accepted his blood and the master/fledgling bond was broken, she still was the quite voice in his head, always there.

He'd remarked on it once to Integra when she questioned the lack of bond. She had cackled at him and commented that he had meant to gain a fledgling but instead gained a constant voice in his head, telling him right from wrong. A conscience at last. She'd even called the draculina Jiminy Cricket for a week after.

But, now, there was only silence.

His thoughts echoed in his own head and he found himself grasping for the slightest sign of her existence. Whether there was the slightest hint of a connection still or a nagging hope, he could almost feel her still there, silent but still present on the edge of his mind. Which ever it was, truth or hope, he could not say and refused to search himself more closely for the answer.

Because if it were only hope, then it would be absolute and he, for the first time, in what felt like an eternity, would be completely alone.

And the very idea frightened him more than he ever knew it could.

**~x~**

"Not to sound repetitious, but all signs point to the new Kingdom of Romania and its king."

"Are you certain?"

Aidan glared at the vampire before looking at the Hellsing leader. He held up a digital reader, showing off a screen of facts and figures before putting it on Elliot's desk for him to look through it.

"They actually left a data trail. Almost fifty years ago, Herr Graustark invented a way of pressurizing liquid silver in such a way as to keep it in its liquid form regardless of temperature. He patented it in the form of bullets designed specifically as a way of combating vampires. The casing of the bullet would crack upon contact and release the silver into the blood of the target, effectively allowing termination of a vampire even without hitting the head or the heart."

"An excuse not to excel in one's work if I've ever heard one," Alucard muttered.

"Yeah, well, the catch is that it doesn't work on powerful vampires like you and the Goddess of Hidden Emotions. It apparently is just known to cause excruciating amounts of pain to the victim."

His words were grim as he delivered the fact to the waiting room. Everyone present stilled, attention completely captured at the realization that not only had one of their own been taken, but she had been tortured as well. Then, after a moment of silence, Aidan continued.

"Now shortly after that, the patent was purchased through what turned out to be a false name. However, when I dug a little deeper, it traced back directly to the new king. There is a similar story to the remote gun turret the bullets were found in. Also, just to verify everything, I scanned the note and cross-referenced for matching handwriting and it pulled up some official documentation from Romania pointing to the king. It's him."

Elliot nodded curtly. "Where do we start?"

"Bran castle."

**~x~**

"So, we are going to Dracula's castle. Huh."

"Actually, little one, I only resided there for about fifty years in the 19th century and only every now and again during my time as voivode."

The group of humans stilled in their actions and turned to stare at Alucard. It was the first time he had verbally owned the title and they were slightly startled to realize they were, actually, in the presence of _the_ Dracula.

"So, uh, then, where _did_ you live?"

"Cetatea Poenari. I rebuilt it from its state of disrepair when I took over. Excellent position tactically." He sighed regretfully. "It is only ruins of its former state now."

"Where were you when I was taking my history A-levels, Impish Impaler?"

"Trapped in a dungeon."

"Figures."

"Anyway," Sakura broke in, rolling her eyes. "You know the layout of the castle and that will be an advantage for us." She paused, eyeing him questioningly. 'I'm still a bit surprised you asked us to come with you, sir."

He looked away from the massive gun he'd been cleaning and gave her a quick grin. "While I could do it myself, Miss Tenjou, even I know I can only do so much at once. It is better to have at least two teams since the castle is not inconsiderable in size and complexity."

"The basic plan is for us to find the Delightful Draculina while the Vicious Vivode here goes after the pseudo-Dracula," Aidan commented from his place crouched at a series of computer screens. "Basic rescue the damsel in distress strategy."

"Check."

For a few minutes, everyone worked quietly to prepare and pack any equipment they might need. It had already been two days since her disappearance and there was an overhanging aura of anxiousness as they made their preparations for what was, truly, an assault on a centuries old castle and the army of vampires that resided within.

"So, tell me, little one," Alucard broke into the silence, voice sensual with amusement, "do you want to be the one to tell him or should I?"

"Tell who what?" Ethan asked, speaking in vampire's presence for the first time in days.

"Sir Elliot," Aidan chimed in, still looking at his screens. "Telling him he can't come with us."

Sakura and Ethan exchanged startled looks as Alucard quietly watched a silent Winter.

**~x~**

"Tell me, vampire, how you can order me to stay behind when I am the master here."

"I tell you this, master, because it is your duty."

"It is my duty to send my people to another country, possibly to die, and not be there to guide them?"

"It is your duty to remain at the institute with your troops as they are deprived of its finest soldiers. It is your duty to understand that you _are_ Hellsing. Without your presence, it is but an empty façade."

"…If you allow her to get hurt, or any of them, then I will put you back where I found you, vampire."

"Yes, master."

**~x~**

"What am I supposed to do if you don't come back?"

"I'm coming back, Elliot. Don't be stupid."

He glared at her. "How can you be so flippant about this, Wynne?"

She sighed and turned away from the water of the Thames to look him in the eye.

"Elliot what is it you think we do here? Because, if you haven't noticed, _we fight vampires_. Every time you send me out on a mission, there has always been a chance that I might not come back."

"This is different."

"Different how?"

"Because I won't be there!" he shouted, startling her. "I won't be waiting outside, waiting for your return. I won't be able to come in after you when there is no sign of you after too long. I won't be there to hold you if you are hurt or worse. I won't be there to tell you goodbye one last time. I won't be there to see it with my own eyes and know that I couldn't have done something to stop it should the worst happen."

She stared at him, wide eyed, as he paused, out of breath and almost shaking as he stared at her.

"Instead…I'll be here, so far away. Unable to do anything."

Winter smiled sadly, stepping closer and reaching her hands up to softly cup his face.

"You can welcome us home."

He growled and pulled her roughly into his arms.

"If you aren't back in three days, and I haven't heard anything from you, I'm going there after you."

"I guess I can allow that."

She laid her head on his chest and the two stood there, lost in the moment, holding each other and trying to forget the possibilities of the morrow.

**~x~**

Elliot hesitated in the shadows of one of the large trees as he looked on at the master vampire who stood in the middle of the lawn, seeming to bathe in the light of the nearly full moon. He watched in silence, his resolve fading with each passing second as he stared at the powerful –and psychotic– vampire.

"Why do you hesitate in the shadows, sharpshooter? Is it me you fear or what you have to say?"

The northerner sighed resignedly before stepping out and walking to where Alucard stood. As he approached, the vampire turned his gaze on him and Ethan wondered, once more, if the entire idea was at all sane.

"You so rarely approach me, Ethan Williams from the north of England. You barely even speak in my presence or even look in my general direction. Why, then, do you approach me now, I wonder."

Ethan mentally reigned in his will, refusing to let his irritation get the better of him. He took a deep breath, looked the vampire directly in the eyes and spoke.

"What is she to you?"

The vampire's eyebrow quirked slightly, as if surprised by the question, and, for once, he didn't play coy and pretend he did not know what Ethan was asking.

"Why do you care?"

Ethan pressed his mouth into a fine line, frowning even deeper before deciding to answer.

"Because I love her."

"That is hardly an answer."

Ethan glared. "And because she, whether she even admits it to herself or not, is in love with you. And I care because I think she deserves better than some idiot vampire that merely thinks of her as a puzzle or a toy."

Alucard grinned delightedly before turning away from the sharpshooter in an action similar to a dismissal.

"Then we have no disagreement."

"But you—"

"As you said, little sharpshooter from the north of England, she has always been mine. She just refuses to admit it. But as in every game of strategy, I never lose my queen."

Ethan shut his mouth and nodded slowly before turning from the vampire and walking away. It was as close an assurance as he was ever going to get and it was enough.

He could let go.

**~x~**

Dreams were not the things of imagination with vampires. Whether memories, visions or insights into the mind, they were visions of reality, often to be dreaded.

Yet, for once in all his long life, it was not so.

When he came into awareness, he saw her, standing at an open window, snowflakes drifting in, showing in brief glimmers as they danced into the light of the full moon. She was dressed as he had never seen her, touches of black on a dress of purest whites that reminded him of his time as a man. Even her hair had been pinned up in an elegant fashion that shone more white than yellow in the moonlight.

She was beautiful and…ethereal.

Like the snow queen of legend or one of the many winter faerie spirits, she seemed apart from the world around her. And just like those beings from children's tales, she seemed out of grasp, as if she would vanish if he reached out to touch her.

He stood still, in the dream world, afraid to move lest he shatter the image. But then, she turned her face to him and he was shaken from his stupor.

Her eyes were blue.

"Are you visiting me now, master?"

"Perhaps you called me to you, my clever draculina."

She raised one shoulder in a shrug but made no movement to go to him, still an image apart from himself.

"It could be. I'm left with my thoughts all too often here and the nights are long this time of year." She smiled sadly. "It would be the first time, though, that you came when I called."

Forsaking any imagined sights of her disappearing, he strode across the space separating them and hooked a finger under her chin, tilting her head so he might look clearly into her eyes.

"I have always come when you called for me, Seras Victoria. Even when you didn't know you called and even when it took me years to answer the call. I always came." He grinned down at her, the expression slightly reproachful. "It was you who stopped calling."

She blushed prettily and tried to look away, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I'd figured I didn't actually _need_ you to come anymore and so you wouldn't."

"At times, police-girl, you are still very foolish."

She met his eyes again, a small frown curving her lips. The anger, however, quickly dissipated and concern took over.

"You mustn't come for me. I should be fine again soon. I will come home."

He peered down at her for a long moment before dropping his hand and taking a step back.

"That is a risk I am unwilling to take."

She winced. "Don't you believe in my abilities, master?"

"I think you are the one who is doubting, Seras." He stroked a finger down her cheek, smiling to himself as she closed her eyes and moved into the soft caress. "I will see you soon, my draculina."

Her eyes flashed open and her mouth opened to argue but the dream faded and he woke to the bright glare of day.

**~x~**

"Well, then, is everyone ready to go off and storm a castle full of vampires while trying not to die in the process?"

Everyone assembled turned to look at the grinning Irishman who only grinned wider at the dry looks afforded him.

"Good. So am I."

"Make sure you are all careful. I would rather have to fall back and return a second time than have any of you injured or killed."

"Worse comes to worse, Alucard could turn me into a vampire," Winter chimed in, cheerfully.

"It would be my pleasure, little one. You have the instincts of an immortal."

"What about me," Aidan queried curiously.

"You would make an admirable ghoul."

"Anyway," Elliot sighed. "Report to me when you reach your destination and again when you have succeeded. If I do not hear from you after three days, I am sending reinforcements."

"Don't worry, Elliot," Winter assured, squeezing his hand gently. "We will all be back and have our Big Sister with us."

"Doesn't it amuse anyone else that she looks younger than all of us?"

Elliot rolled his eyes before gesturing for them to load into the air-bound carrier. He watched, expression stiff with frustration as they loaded the last of the equipment and Winter stood in the door, pained expression in her own eyes as they said their silent good-byes.

"Have fun storming the castle."

"We will."

Then the door slammed shut and they were taking off. He stared at the transport as it rose into the sky and faded from sight, hoping against all hope that they all return to Hellsing.

**~x~**

"Shall we go give them hell?"

"Yes, little Irishman, I think we shall."

**x**

"Our sources say that they are coming for her, master."

"Good. We shall give them a warm welcome indeed."

"Yes, master."

* * *

AN: It's a bit short...and not much really happened, so I hope it's not a let down from last chapter. But, I had to do it. If I didn't, the climactic battle of killingness would have been a bit too rushed and awkward. As it is, the climactic battle is being split into TWO chapters now...which need planning...so it may take longer than usual to get them out...but still, hopefully things will be done before new years or shortly there after.

I also have another project I may devote a couple days to, if it goes right, as a bit of a christmas fun. It may end up being complete crap and scraped...but if it pops up, I'd love to hear any comments on it.

As always, thank you for all the lovely words and feel free to ask any questions. I hope I answered everyone's last time, either here or in a review reply. If not, feel free to yell at me and I'll answer again.

Til we meet again.


	9. ‘independently happy’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

Dedication: To everyone who read and reviewed (especially the reviewers!) my not-very-Christmasy-at-all Christmas story, to Syrenity who helped me with this chapter a lot and to everyone who is still around to read this after a month delay...

Note: I blame Doctor Who (for frying my brain with awesomeness and making it sad for the loss of RTD) and Percy Jackson (for being that unbelievably cool...go read it!) and to work...for sucking. It's not as action packed as I had intended but it got an overall thumbs up from my beta so here I am, posting it...at last! We'll just have to wait for the real carnage next chapter.

* * *

**~x~**

'**independently happy'**

**~x~**

"They are coming for you now."

She looked up at him from where she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I know."

"My spies tell me they landed about twenty minutes from here. I expect they will come shortly."

As he spoke, a figure appeared in the doorway. She was the polar opposite to the captive draculina. Tall and thin, her hair was long and black. Even the gown she wore was black to the other draculina's white.

"I'd like you to meet my lovely Elizabeth. She was a fledging of mine once, many years ago. She is her own woman now, though, and has been since well before you were born."

He ran knuckles down her cheek affectionately before turning back to his captive.

"She should be able to keep an eye on you. It shouldn't take long, my sweet. Soon they will be gone and you will be mine."

She looked at both in silence, before turning her gaze out the window once more. He merely smiled and turned to leave the room.

"I'll send you Trinity to tend to your…needs."

**~x~**

"You seriously lived here? Nice."

"For a little while after death, even shorter while in life. They whitewashed everything since then. Pretentious pseudo-royalty making everything over every time they get the inclination."

"Right then," Aidan commented distractedly as he pulled out a flat projector. After pressing a quick series of keys, he laid it on one of their cargo bags. Moments later, a three-dimensional map of the castle behind him appeared.

"Now from what Captain Cryptic says, the Draculina-in-Distress should be located in the top most room in this tower, the observation tower."

"A little far for her to be tossing us a braid of hair to climb up," Winter noted, casually.

"Just so. Alright now," Aidan began, pointing to a long set of stairs. "There is only one real entrance, since scaling hair is out of the question. These stairs take us into what is known as the Watch Room, a little atrium that you have to go through to get anywhere else. From there, we actually have to cross the courtyard here," he instructed, pointing to the open area. "The first real chance for attack is in one of these two places, the courtyard more likely due to non-restricted combat."

"I was really hoping we could be slaughtered inside where it's warm," Winter muttered, rubbing her arms a bit. "I _hate_ this bloody cold season."

For a moment, the battle plans paused as everyone turned to give her a strange look. She blinked.

"What?"

"Irony aside," Aidan continued, turning once more to the map. "If we get through the courtyard, there will be a series of stairwells. The first is straight and fairly wide," he observed, pointing it out on the image. "However, after that, we have one of those nice winding spiral staircases that should lead us all the way up to the fourth floor from the first. Once there, we rescue our Pristine Princess and be done with it."

"Stairs. Fun," Ethan sighed. "We are going to be at a _severe_ disadvantage."

"Adversity is the spice of life," Winter chimed in with a grin.

"Somehow, I don't think that is the way the saying goes," Sakura commented with an answering grin.

"Now, then, I'm sure, somewhere in the middle of all this, Vengeful Vamp here will probably be called out by the Idiot King for some sort of one-on-one duel. Should this happen, we continue on and leave him to his fun. Also, when we get bottled up in the stairwell, we will, most likely, need to have our best up front. That puts you, Winter, in the lead, followed by Ethan, our sharpshooter. Sakura, you will take the rear guard position with me behind Ethan."

"You would use women as your shields?" Alucard commented sardonically.

Aidan looked up at him, gaze unflinching as he locked eyes with the vampire.

"They kick so much more ass than we do."

The master vampire allowed himself a wide maniacal grin in response while the two girls exchanged a quick high five.

"Now that that's settled," Ethan commented wryly, "let's go save the princess."

"Yes, sir!"

**~x~**

"They are coming."

"Yes."

"Do you wonder, Seras, if they are coming because they believe you're weak? Is it obligation? Or perhaps it is the tactical understanding that if one of their trump cards were captured so easily they would look weak to the world?"

"No."

"Such a simple reply. They'll all die, you know, down in the floors below us."

"…Think that, if it gives you comfort."

**~x~**

"How nice of you to join us. I do so love an army of ghouls first thing in the morning."

"Aidan, it's night."

"And it is the beginning of our day, my Asian flower. Thus it is our morning." He paused, momentarily distracted by the ghoul attempting to bite his arm off. After Sakura quickly severed its head from its shoulders, he grinned at her.

"Thank you, my dear. Anyhow, never try and find fault in my logic."

"Yeah, it'll get your ear talked off," Winter retorted from a few feet away surrounded by ghouls herself.

"Having flashbacks of your days under my tutelage, Irish Deviltry?"

"Shut up and kill things, Aidan."

When they had entered the castle, the small Watch Room had been empty, eerily so, but when they opened the door to the courtyard, they had found the space between the door and the stairwell filled with ghouls. Normally, the battle would have been over in minutes, but the small quarters made fighting difficult. They were forced to be cautious with every move they made lest they injure one of their companions.

"Where did all these buggers come from?" Ethan wondered aloud as he gunned down a few in quick succession. "They look like a group of bloody tourists almost."

"Except who would tour a place infested with vampires," Sakura questioned as she cut through the torso and heart of what looked to have once been a fairly young girl.

"People looking to be converted," Alucard answered wryly.

"Indeed," an unfamiliar voice called out from the shadows of the far side of the courtyard. "There are many who flock here looking for immortal life. Many do not realize the importance of being honest when we ask about their virginity."

"Thanks for sharing," Winter remarked as she finally reached the stairs. "Alucard, do you think that you could be a dear and sort out this wanker and the rest of the ghouls while we press on?"

The master vampire chuckled, dipping his neck and shoulders in a slight bow to the yet young girl.

"As you wish, little one."

"Alright then, Merry Band of Misfits," Aidan called out. "Let's move on and leave the Caustic Crusader to his fun."

There was a soft, dangerous chuckle in reply to his words and the four watched for a moment as he walked confidently out of sight in the direction of the disembodied voice. The distraction cost them, as there were ghouls attacking them still. Actions slowed considerably, when Aidan and Sakura filed into the staircase, more ghouls at their heels, Winter and Ethan were already halfway up the stairs. Their progress was halted, however, when more ghouls began to pour down from the top of the stairs.

"Where did they _find_ all these people? There can't be that many idiots running around lose," Ethan groaned as he reloaded the gun, stepping down a few steps as Winter was pushed back by the onslaught.

"Never underestimate the ability to find stupidity, my friend," Aidan replied as he fired over Sakura's shoulder. The two men stood back to back at that point, the press of undead forcing them into the smallest space possible. "On a high note, it appears that there is now a sufficiently large enough pile of deader ghouls to block the lower entrance."

"Wonderful," Winter retorted in a falsely chipper voice. "Alright. Screw this nonsense."

As she spoke, she reached for a leather-covered disc at her right hip. A few nimble movements of her finger detached the leather and moments later she was holding up a circle of metal, three blades curved around a centerpiece effectively creating a circular blade. In the middle, five small holes and been cut into the metal which she slipped one of her fingers through. Then, with an ease borne of years of practice, she flicked the blade from her hand in the manner a small child might throw a discus.

The blade curved slightly in the stairwell but its movements appeared unimpeded by the undead flesh it tore through on its path. Soft hissing sounded in the confined space as the blessed silver cut down one ghoul after another in a succession quicker than the eye could easily follow. Its progression ended in a muted _thunk_ as it impaled in the wooden doorjamb at the top of the stairs. In its wake, several ghouls fell lifeless down the steps.

And, yet, no sooner had the weapon left her finger, had Winter taken up the short sword once more. Her movements were effortless, instilled in her through years of training under the best. In moments, the stair well was clear and she was making her precarious way up the final stairs, stepping over and on the ghouls she had just felled.

Beneath her, lower on the stair, her three compatriots stared, startled into stillness.

"You know," Ethan commented, clearing his throat slightly. "Sometimes I forget just how scary Winter is."

"Tell me about it. Try being her tutor and telling her she got number four wrong."

**~x~**

"Do you hear it, little Seras? The sound of guns firing. How pathetic they must feel in the full rush of a ghoul army."

"Pathetic is not the word I'd use."

"You have such faith in them? But where did faith get you, little draculina? I know your story. It is almost legend, the story of the Millennium War, the story of Seras Victoria who emerged alone from the greatest vampire war of the modern age."

"Not alone."

"But who came with you? Did that pathetic mercenary Pip? You really were a legend, you know, even before the war. It is unheard of for a fledgling to go so long without drinking blood. Yet you did. And in one moment, you gave up all your morals and all the resolution and drank from a man you might have loved. He died for you and he destroyed your humanity."

"Hardly something a vampire should be criticizing me for."

"No, perhaps not. But what of Walter C. Dornez? Did he come with you from the fight?"

"He died."

"He died as a member of the enemy, forsaking you and your compatriots and helping to kill your master. What a way you have, Seras, of instilling loyalty."

**~x~**

Maniacal laughter echoed through the ancient edifice, bouncing off of every stone and sending a shiver down the spine of every ear that heard it.

"How _does_ he do that?"

"Practice, I imagine," Winter panted, standing over the last of the toppled ghouls on the first story.

Aidan turned and eyed her carefully, taking small advantage of their momentary respite.

"Wynne, as impressive as your skills are, you need to slow down. If you tire yourself out at this point, you are going to be useless later."

The other two, startled at hearing him utter her actual name, turned to look at the woman warrior. She frowned at all three of them but resignedly nodded her head.

"Smarter not harder."

"Precisely, my young padawan."

"Which way, Jedi master?"

He pointed vaguely at a doorway just to the side of the left of the stairwell they had emerged from as he rummaged in the seemingly endless pockets of his cargo pants.

"Start heading up. I'm going to leave our little ghoul friends a little gift. Should keep us from being barraged from both sides again."

As he spoke, Aidan pulled out a series of small devices and started connecting them to each other. The other three stood to watch him at his work until he looked up at them with a frown.

"I told you to go. Proceed slowly. Spiral staircases are our most dangerous area. You will not easily be able to see what is coming next, Irish Rose, so be very cautious. For me."

He winked at her before kneeling on the ground just inside the doorway. Winter grinned and stepped into the staircase, fingers laced through her circular blade, and was quickly followed by first Ethan then Sakura. Their procession was slow and steady up the steep and narrow staircase. Aidan had been correct when he estimated that they would be unable to see well in front of them. The sharp curve of the stones allowed little light to illuminate their steps, casting shadows on every turn.

Aidan had caught up with them by the time Winter crested the top of the stairs. The trip upwards had seemed interminable as they took step by slow step, the silence echoing each scrape of boot rubber on stone step. Still, nothing came at them. There was no sign of further attack and the floor above them seemed swallowed in the silence that haunted them there as if all efforts at prevention had been left to the vampires below.

Then they reached the landing.

Winter came to a sudden stop as she came face to face with an army of perfectly still ghouls. She winced before glancing over her shoulder.

"Aidan sweetheart?"

"Yes, Deathbringer?"

"Do you have some sort of incendiary device?"

He paused a moment.

"Don't I always?"

**~x~**

"They all betray you, don't they?"

"Not all of them."

"No, that woman stayed loyal to everything she believed in. She would have made an excellent vampire."

"Most likely."

"She showed true loyalty and strength until the very end. And then her son turned around and betrayed you. He chained you to a wall and left you there in that dungeon to rot for nearly a century. Tell me, Seras, what did it feel like? What was it like to have someone you trusted break every oath and look at you in revulsion? What was it like to have him look at you as a monster to be tamed and punished?"

"Do you think I'd tell you?"

"I think it hurt. I think it felt like a betrayal to everything you had believed of yourself. You had _voluntarily_ bound yourself to the Hellsing family line only for them to cage you like a monster. What _did_ you do to him, little draculina, to make him hate you so much?"

"I did nothing."

"And now they have dug you up from your prison and use you to kill your own kind night after night. Do they look at you with fear, Seras? Do they treat you as a vampire and a monster?"

"I am a vampire."

"Yes, you are. And they _hunt_ vampires. They _kill_ them. How long before their fear of vampires extends to you completely? How long before that fear turns to hate? How long before they throw you back in your stone prison or worse?"

"…"

"How long before you begin to question your own loyalties, No-Life Queen, to those who would kill you?"

**~x~**

"Well, this is new."

Winter's quick check of the floor's potential dangers had left her halting suddenly on the stair as she was presented with an image drastically different from anything else they had seen. Slowly, she exited the spiral staircase, hand grasping her short sword and back carefully kept to the wall. Behind her, Ethan and Sakura followed, following her cautious behavior as they stared at the odd sight before them.

In the door stood two women, looking no more than the age of adulthood. They were dressed in mirrored dresses designed in the Neo-Victorian fashion; their height was the same, as was their build, features and coloring. The only difference, in fact, was that the woman on the right had fine blonde hair and the one on the left curly red, their dresses colored to match.

"I didn't think identical twins could have different hair colors."

The redhead shrugged.

"It happens."

"Twin vampires. Nice!"

Everyone in the room turned their eyes briefly to Aidan as he crested the stairwell and looked in on the scene. The feeling of female exasperation in the room was almost tangible in the moments after. In fact, Winter began to notice an overall lack of malicious atmosphere from the two vampires staring at them. Instead of seeming poised to kill, they stood their casually – if still elegant – and almost…bored.

"I suppose you are here to kill us," Sakura asked politely.

"That is the general idea," the redhead agreed.

"Though, they do seem like they may be the worthy sort, Rose," the blonde commented.

"Indeed, Lily. They definitely proved themselves good warriors," the redhead agreed.

"Your mother named you Rose and Lily?"

The two nodded, wry expressions on their face.

"High school was…difficult."

"I can imagine," Winter commented, amusement beginning to overtake her warriors instincts. "However, none of us are going to become vampires."

"Are you sure? Master does really like lovely women around him and the two of you have that sort of virginal aura around you."

"How come no one ever wants to make me into a vampire?" Aidan whined.

The two looked him over critically.

"If you'd been a virgin," Rose shrugged.

"Damn Maureen."

"But we'd especially like you," Rose continued, looking at Winter.

"You seem like you'd be a nice bride."

"A good No-Life Queen."

"Unlike Elizabeth," Lily sighed.

"Elizabeth is a bitch," Rose agreed.

"Lady Seras seems very nice though."

"She'd've been much better than Elizabeth."

"Would've?" Ethan asked, voice tight.

The two looked at him full on for the first time, measuring him with their eyes before answering.

"We love our Master," Lily began.

"He gave us a new life," Rose agreed.

"But he is very foolish at times."

"You can never convert another's bride. It isn't possible."

"Bride?" Sakura queried.

"Theoretically, anyone of the opposite gender you convert is a 'bride' or a 'bridegroom," Rose instructed.

"But usually, the bond is weak," Lily continued.

"As soon as the master/servant bond is broke, they usually try and kill their master."

"But sometimes the bond is stronger."

"A true bride. A true bridegroom."

"And then they are bound together."

"Irrevocably."

"Forever."

"Ah," Ethan acknowledged, a bit discomforted by the information.

"Does anyone else think it's hilarious that those two are bound together for all eternity? No? Just me. Figures."

At that moment, a low sound filtered into the room, seeping in until it echoed off of every stone. A rich, dark laugh resounded through the castle, reverberating in the mind of all that stood within its walls. All who heard it recognized the source and all who heard it knew its meaning.

Victory.

"Speaking of the Boisterous Bridegroom, I do believe that is the sound of him offing his opponent downstairs. So with that, you two," Aidan ordered, looking at Ethan and Sakura, "up the stairs. I think our Sweet Seraph is trapped with the Harrowing Harpy these two were talking about."

"Wait!"

The blonde stepped forward but was quickly cut off by Winter's quick movement.

"It was a nice distraction," Aidan offered sympathetically. "It worked well."

"We don't really want to kill you," Lily commented sadly.

"It's been a while since we've been so happily entertained."

"You know," Winter began with a sad smile. "I have to say, for the first time-"

"Neither do we," Aidan finished.

**~x~**

"Will you persist in falling into that _human_ emotion of hope, Seras Victoria? Will you leave your loyalty to a group of people who will always see you as a monster, to be respected, perhaps, but still to be feared? Or will you accept who you _really_ are and join us?"

The blonde looked up to the other vampire as she stood tall in the room, an imperious queen in her own castle, her expression kept devoid of all emotion as the elder taunted her. Her ruby eyes trained silently on the brunette and Elizabeth had to resist the instinct to flinch from the unwavering gaze. Those clear eyes seemed to be staring straight into her soul, finding every weakness and secret she hid deep within. They taunted her with their silence, speaking more in a few seconds than she had in the entire time the two had been sequestered with each other.

"Or will you remain weak, little draculina," she persisted, only just managing to keep her voice even as she spoke.

Still, the blonde kept silent.

It was driving Elizabeth mad.

Her former master, king of the country she had sworn fealty to and ruled at his side, had given her one command as he brought her to the tower with the captive.

"_Break her."_

For close to an hour, she had tried. She used every ounce of knowledge that hey had gained of her through the years. It was no lie that Seras Victoria had become a legend in vampire lore, despite her human loyalties – or because of them. She had become a symbol of what it was to conform the vampire nature to ones own will. She had mastered her demon. In those years after the Millennium War, Elizabeth had found herself idolizing the younger draculina. She had shown such strength in her earliest years, a truly strong draculina for the first time in centuries.

And then tales of her betrayal had become a legend of a different sort.

"Will you just sit there and wait for them to betray you again? Will you wait, pathetically, while the blood of Henry Hellsing shows true in his descendants? Will you wait for them to behave like the spineless cowards they are or will you realize the truth and abandon the family that has stolen your freedom and left you only a _shell_ of the great draculina you once were?"

As she spoke, something happened in the younger vampire. The entire atmosphere of the room changed radiating out from where the blonde captive sat as if she had suddenly shed a cloak that masked her vampiric powers. Before she could think to stop, Elizabeth took a step back at the sudden change and then another as the blonde lifted her chin and an entirely different woman looked out from her eyes. Then, with unhurried confidence, she stood, towering in her diminutive height.

Seras smiled.

**~x~**

Lily slowly backed away from the blade held to her throat by the steady eyed brunette.

"We really like Seras, too," Winter commented.

"Sort of like a big sister to the entire organization," Aidan agreed as he stepped towards Winter, both bodies effectively blocking the stairwell.

Rose looked back and forth between the two, curiosity alight in her eyes. "Are you two siblings?"

Winter laughed and Aidan shook his head with a small grin.

"She wouldn't allow me any closer an association than a cousin. Still, she is almost my only family."

"He acts like an annoying older brother though," she commented casually, meeting his deceptively lighthearted gaze for a few moments. "Always telling me what to do."

As she finished, she darted forward to Rose, short sword at the ready. Before she was two steps forward, Lily thrust her aside and she fell to the ground, landing heavily on one hand, hip hitting sharply against the stone floor, sending her circular blade clattering across the floor.

The harsh fall didn't seem to bother her for an instant and she was back up on her feet, angling for Rose once more. The redhead backed out of the small room that housed the stairwell while her sister stepped forward to defend her once more. However, this time, Winter brushed off the blonde easily, her nimble movements pushing her past both vampires until she stood facing the redhead, backing her into a corner.

Leaving her sister to her fight, Lily looked over at Aidan who had dived for the abandoned blade. He continued the movement and rolled onto his feet, fingers slipped into the cut holes of the weapon.

"I always loved this blade," he commented as he flicked his wrist and sent it towards the blonde vampire. It missed her entirely and it embedded in the stone wall in the small hall behind her, not far from where Winter stood with Rose. "Never was very good with it though."

She smirked. "It is an interesting weapon. What is it called, by the way?"

"Serenity, I think, is what my fair cousin dubbed it."

"How poetic," she commented, dashing forward all of a sudden. He barely dodged her quick series of attacks, failing completely at one point as she tore through the flesh of his side, leaving a long gash from his waist until his knee.

"Damn you're quick," he muttered, wincing as he tried to stand upright.

"One of the perks," she agreed, eyeing him carefully, as a predator would measure its prey.

He staggered against the wall nearest the stairwell and pulled his only remaining gun with bullets from its holster. As quickly as he could manage, he fired off a series of shots at the draculina, missing her slightly each time as she quickly moved from the path of each bullet.

"Watch it!" Winter called out from the adjoining room, where she stood struggling with her own vampire.

The redhead was a more aggressive fighter and Winter bore quite a few slash marks on her arms and one on her face, then red lines of blood seeping through the wounds and staining her fair features. Even with all her prowess with a blade, the vampire's movements were simply _faster_. Every cut with the blessed blade was deftly deflected with one hand while the other grasped out to attack. In the last lunge, Rose grasped the blade from her hands, leaving her weaponless.

"Are you ready _yet_?" Winter called out with fierce impatience.

The question startled both vampires into inaction momentarily but still Lily was quick enough to dodge the small projectile that flew towards her. Yet, this time, instead of sailing past her into the other room, it took a sharp turn and Lily cried out in pain, reaching up to her neck where a slim wire wrapped around her throat, coated lightly in the vampires blood.

She barely had time to process this as the weight swung around full and came back to Aidan's waiting hand.

"Ready."

At his signal, Winter pulled her Serenity blade from the wall and dashed forward, swinging her arm across her, blade secured tightly by her fingers. Rose didn't have time to react before the blade cut through her neck, severing her skull from spine. At the same time, the wire attached to the finger hole pulled taunt and sliced cleanly though the blondes flesh.

For a moment, there was silence as the two cousins stared down at the decapitated twins.

"Well, at least they went together."

**~x~**

Elizabeth stared, nonplused by the blonde vampire before her. When she had entered the room, she was the more powerful vampire, mistress of the castle and older by decades. Their captive had sat nearly motionless and almost silent, void of emotion and purpose like white noise on a television.

No longer.

Seras took a step forward and it was everything Elizabeth could do to ignore the screaming instinct to take a further step backwards. Her body was at war with her mind and the flight or fight mentality was trying to set in. The aura of power that now seeped from the blonde was overwhelming and Elizabeth could only stare as she realized that only then was she meeting the real Seras, the No-Life Queen.

"S-so," she began, cursing herself for her slight stutter and pausing a moment to control her voice. "You can fight after all."

"Is that what you want, Elizabeth? Do you want a fight?"

Everything inside of her screamed no but she could only remain silent, startled by the no longer emotionless voice. Instead of her former crisp monotone, each word dripped with casual power and was tinged with mocking.

"I think you _do_ want a fight, Elizabeth. Why else would you have spent all this time taunting me."

"I was trying to get you to come to your senses," the brunette replied, her own words helping her regain her footing as she was reminded of her purpose. "I was trying to make you realize that you are too strong to ally yourself with weak humans and a vicious betrayer like the one you call Alucard."

The grin on Seras' lips grew bittersweet and, for a moment, the overpowering atmosphere lessened.

"You know what, Elizabeth, you did make me realize something. You were right."

The brunette faltered, physically startled at the simple admission.

"I was?"

"Yes, you _were_ right," Seras confirmed, stepping way from the brunette entirely and walking over to the window she had spent so many hours peering through. "I really _was_ just waiting for them to betray me. I waited for it every moment, expecting any one of my actions to be the one that made them realize that I was a monster."

"So," Elizabeth, confidence returning with each word the blonde spoke, "you realize, then, that you belong with us? With vampires who understand you and will give you the respect you deserve."

The blonde No-Life Queen turned and met eyes with Elizabeth once more, her smile dangerous.

"No."

"But–"

"You see, Elizabeth," Seras began, walking slowly towards the other woman. "You made me realize that I was truly being weak. I was letting myself be troubled all those thoughts of betrayal and guilt." She paused, stopping only a few feet away from the still draculina. "You asked me once what I did to Henry Hellsing, what wrong I had committed that had caused him to turn his hatred on me and I answered you honestly. I did nothing. Instead of recognizing him for who he was, an intelligent boy who had a human heart, I dismissed him and his emotions. I ignored him."

"So you are going to blame yourself for what he did to you?"

"And Alucard," Seras continued as if Elizabeth hadn't spoken. "I gave up on Alucard. His hand had always been there, reached out to me, waiting for me to take it, and I stopped reaching back. And when I stopped calling, I still blamed him for not coming."

She paused in her words and took another step towards Elizabeth until the women were scarcely a foot a part.

"Now, I'll ask you again, Elizabeth. Do you want a fight?"

The room echoed with the words before fading to silence as the two locked eyes with each other. The moment was infinite in its perfect stillness. All sounds of fighting below had faded from sound. The world only existed in that room, in the gaze of two pairs of red eyes.

Faster than eyes could follow, Elizabeth attacked. Darting forward, she raked her claw-like nails across the exposed flesh of Seras' throat leaving a set of deep gashes that poured blood down the front of the snow-white dress. If it had been a human, the wounds would have been fatal as the arteries of the neck were severed and her windpipe exposed, but on a vampire it was merely a distraction and Elizabeth leapt back, crouching in a defensive position.

Seras merely stood there looking at the blood and before Elizabeth's eyes, the wounds began to disappear leaving perfect flesh behind. Even the dress returned to rights as whole and clean as it had started.

"You are going to have to do better than that."

At that moment, the door opened and the familiar ex-hairdresser stumbled in, two unseen people crowding behind her. Fast as lightning, Elizabeth grabbed the girl and pulled her in front of her as a shield.

"You are still weak, Seras," she laughed, clutching the girl's throat in her hand. "You still pause at the idea of killing an innocent human. Especially one you know, like Trinity here."

Seras laughed. "You are using her as a shield and you call _me _weak?"

"You _are_ weak! You cater to the whims of those damn Hellsing people knowing all the while that it is only a matter of time before they turn on you." She backed up a few steps. "You are just a monster to them, Seras Victoria. Accept it!"

The No-Life Queen took a step back then another and another until she was even with one of the tall bedposts. The only sound in the room was the quick gasps of the terrified girl in Elizabeth's arms as they watched the careful movements of the blonde vampire. Her gaze, which had been trained on Elizabeth, moved to meet Trinity's frightened eyes.

Seras winked.

In the next moment, she was gone, side stepping into nothing as she passed the ornate bedpost.

"Where did she go?" Elizabeth screeched, clutching Trinity's neck tighter.

"I'd probably guess into the shadows," a voice replied from the door.

She turned with a jerk to see two of the Hellsing operatives step into the room, weapons at the ready.

"How did you get up here? What happened to the twins?"

"I'm sure Winter and Aidan are settling them out now," Ethan responded.

"Impossible!"

Throwing the girl aside, Elizabeth grabbed Sakura by her collar and held her up over her head. The Asian girl, however, instead of looking frightened, seemed almost amused.

"You should know," she commented breathily, "Seras isn't a monster."

At the word monster, Seras coalesced from the shadows directly behind Elizabeth. The brunette draculina didn't even have time to turn before a sharp pain tore a scream from her throat. Her grasp on Sakura weakened and she dropped the girl, looking down in shock at the hand that had ripped through her chest, clutching her heart in its bloodied digits.

"She's our savior," Ethan finished.

Seras jerked her hand back, ripping the heart from Elizabeth's body. The woman could only stare, in the last seconds of her life as the master vampire crushed the organ in her fist until only blood remained.

**~x~**

"Did we miss the party?"

Everyone looked at the doorway from their various positions in the room. Ethan had taken Seras in a huge hug after her bloody display before dragging her off into the corner by the window. Sakura had listened with only half an ear as the two spoke quietly about Ethan's…affections. He had seemed to understand what she was going to say even before she apologized and was just wishing her the best with a happy heart when Aidan's voice had come from the door.

"I doubt our friend…Trinity?…here would call it a party," Sakura commented from where she was sitting in front of the terrified former hairdresser.

"Probably not," Aidan conceded before limping into the room.

The action caught Seras' attention and she frowned worriedly.

"Aidan, you're hurt!"

"Ah, Sweet Seras, you have very pretty blue eyes! So nice of you to show them off a bit!"

She blushed but otherwise ignored the comment a she took a closer look at the wound. Someone, presumably Winter, had done a quick dressing of the wound but it was still seeping blood through the bindings.

"We need to get him some real help," she muttered looking around slightly before frowning at the brunette in the doorway. "Why did you let him climb up the stairs, Winter?"

"Like I could stop him," she laughed, grinning at the vampire. "Do you know, I think that is the first time you've called me by name."

"She also looks a bit like Rapunzel in that dress of hers. Maybe we could have climbed up her hair. Saved us a lot of trouble," Ethan commented jovially.

"Speak for yourself," Aidan snorted, wincing slightly at Seras' proddings, which were becoming less and less delicate as she grew more and more embarrassed.

"Stop teasing her," Sakura laughed, straightening away from the slowly calming girl. "Besides, I don't know if you guys remember, but there is still a fight going on."

"You say that like you think that the Pale and Pasty Paladin might lose his little fight."

The sound of glass shattering exploded through the castle and everyone in the room stilled. A loud roar followed, angry and mocking. Everyone in the room exchanged looks before rushing out the door and down the stairs.

_Master!_

* * *

AN: I almost didn't kill the twins. They grew on me. I think this chapter came out a bit more choppy than I would have liked but everything in the sad world of the real killed off most of my brain cells. You actually have some of my evil not-coworkers to thank for this. If they hadn't kept irritating the holy hell out of me, I wouldn't have been quite so ready to kill things.

Again, thank you SO much to everyone who reviewed. It makes me so unbelievably happy to read your kind words and awesome critiques.

I really hope this chapter was worth the wait (it is certainly longer than usual) and I promise that the next chapter will not take nearly as long. Hopefully, it'll be out sometime by next weekend.

Thanks!

Til next time.


	10. ‘dirt room’

Disclaimer: I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

Note: Sorry AGAIN for the delay. Apparently I have to be in an irritated mood to write scenes of mass violence. And I've been too tired to be violent. That and work kinda sucked. Again.

Dedication: To the effing witch who cut off a foot of my hair when I asked for five inches (yeah I have long hair...cause its still to midback), I dedicate this to you for making me so angry Alucard killed things.

... Also to my lovely reviewers, who make life worth while.

* * *

**~x~**

'**dirt room'**

**~x~**

It had always been his duty to go alone into the night.

Since the eve he had placed a golden cup on a secluded well until his capture at the hands of his enemies, from the moment his tongue had tasted blood until he was sealed in an abandoned cellar, he had been alone. It was his duty and his calling. Never questioning his solitude, he had accepted it as the lot he had drawn.

He watched the fiery group of humans escape up the stairwell from his position just inside the shadows. They were a decent enough group, honorable. In many of the years before, he had found a sense of companionship with mortal men. It had always ended brutally, in death or betrayal, until each association left him with a greater respect with the thing known as man.

It was the men who were left to kill the monsters.

Maybe it would be one of those four that would give him his end. Perhaps….

He raised his Jackal and leveled it at the ghouls left in the compact area that sheltered the stairwell and entrance. He pulled the trigger once, twice, three times. The rounds ripped through the decaying matter of the ghouls' skulls, felling three, eight, twelve. Another round fired and a few more fell. A small smile curved his lips as he looked at the ones left before him.

Let the little Irishman sort out the rest.

He turned to the still ghouls behind him. There were perhaps another thirty or forty packed into the more open area of the lower courtyard. They stared at him, their eyeless gaze immovable, but did not move. They were not for him.

Still….

Drawing the Cassul, he fired it into the mostly dead battalion of sad, desperate souls who had been tricked into their now lot of existence. He fired from both of Walter's magnificent creations, widening the spray of bullets from the center to the shadowed corners until both clips were empty. He pressed the release and they fell to the ground, clattering softly on the stones bellow his feet.

He moved unhurriedly to secure new clips in place as he surveyed the damage. The pseudo-army had been close to annihilated. Packed in as tight as they were, each piercing round had gone farther and each incendiary had done more damage.

Ghouls were not particularly satisfying foes, in his mind.

"It was always said that you were nothing if not efficient."

He turned to look at the source of the voice that had drawn him this way. A figure stood near the well on the opposite side of the wall that divided the lower courtyard from the upper. He remained mostly hidden, obscured by ghouls and the stone structures but the moonlight shown down and glinted off of fair hair atop a tall pale figure.

"And what is said of you?"

Alucard kept his eyes trained on the figure as he turn to walk up the short set of stairs next to the dividing wall. His movements were measured and purposeful nearest to how a king might approach a man he unexpectedly found in his castle.

"Not much is said of me, Count. I have made the shadows my home, content to watch others fight and die for causes that were doomed to failure."

Passing through the small, enclosed space, he stepped into the inner courtyard and got a good look at the man who opposed him. He was taller than most and thin. There was something about him that seemed bleached and whitewashed and the only touch of color to his entire figure lay in a golden tie over his black suit.

"So you are not the one to bring us here. You are but the shadow of your master," Alucard sighed.

"You might say that," the figure agreed, casually drawing a cigarette from a pocket and bringing it to his mouth. "I follow his orders and his orders are what brought you here. I choose to follow them as you chose to come." He touched a silver lighter to the cigarette, breathing in deeply before taking it from his mouth and depositing the device back in his pocket.

"Are you the evil genius then? The power behind the throne?"

The blonde shook his head. "Nah. I'm just along for the ride. I have been for the past several hundred years."

"And you chose to stay here?"

Alucard's voice tinged on curiosity as he took a few steps closer to the well that separated stood in the middle of the inner courtyard, separating them as the ghouls moved to the side.

"Never underestimate the allure of amnesty." He took a drag off the cigarette. "Or the power of twenty high power rifles trained on you."

He tipped his head back and blew smoke into the air as the ghouls came to life and fired a barrage of bullets at Alucard. Within a matter of seconds, the vampire lay in pieces on the ground, the slight build up of snow tainted with red. The blonde raised his hand and the firing stopped, an eerie silence filling the air where only the sounds of gunfire had been before.

Sticking the nearly finished cigarette in the corner of his mouth, the figure reached behind his back and unlatched a set of leather grips from a hidden sling across his back. In an effortless movement, he swung forth an elegantly crafted bastard sword, accidentally decapitating a ghoul in the process. He looked down at the disfigured entirely dead creature and shrugged.

"Oops."

"Killing your own minions. That seems to defeat the purpose."

Alucard's voice rang out in the night before fading into echoing laughter as the remains of his torso began to piece itself back together, bit by bit, until he stood fully formed once more. The grin on his face seemed more amused than manic for once and he stood, weapons hang loosely at his side, as he looked at the odd creature before him.

"They aren't of much use against you." He shrugged. "As you just showed."

"Then why bother?"

"Testing the theory. I heard you might have lost some of your regenerative ability."

"Not at all."

As he finished, he drew the Jackal and let out several rounds against his curious opponent. A true vampire, the blonde quickly drew his blade and, in movements almost faster than Alucard could follow, deflected each of the bullets fired at him. Impressed despite of himself, Alucard pulled out the Cassul as well and began firing both weapons, forcing the blonde slowly backwards.

As the last bullet fired from the clip, the stranger stumbled, tripping on the stone steps behind him. He was quick to recover and regained his footing in seconds. Backed up against a closed door, he elbowed it sharply and it flew open behind him, opening into a small room dressed as a chapel.

"That is a remarkable blade you carry."

"Good thing, too. New sort of metal. They call it adamantium. Thankfully, it can deflect even those monster bullets of yours."

"So I see."

Alucard stood still, evaluating his opponent with an objective eye.

"Who are you then?"

The figure shrugged. "Like you, I've had many names. Here, they call me Nikolai."

"I didn't ask your name, vampire, I asked who you were."

Nikolai grinned. "Will it matter?"

Alucard returned the expression, appreciation alight in his eye.

"No, I don't think it will."

Time did not pass any slower nor did he move any faster but from one second to the next Alucard had crossed the distance of the courtyard and stood before the opposing vampire. One hand knocked the blade from Nikolai's grasp and the other clutched the collar of his shirt, raising him above the ground. For a moment, he just looked up at the captive figure in his hands. Despite his perilous position, the other vampire seemed unfazed. Rather, he looked amused and even gave Alucard a quick wink, as if understanding the indecision in the master vampire's mind.

The moment was over quickly though. With a casual throw, Alucard threw Nikolai from his hand. The blonde arched sharply in the small room before falling once more. The sick sound of metal piercing flesh sounded briefly as the tall golden cross standing on the alter ran straight through his heart sending blood through the chamber, red streaking down the brilliant blue walls.

"It's a pity. In different circumstances…."

Looking closely at the figure on the altar, he noticed the hand was stilled in a gesture. He blinked at it, nonplussed for a moment before tipping his head back in a laugh filled with joy and triumph. He turned from the still figure and left the small chapel, turning to the stairs adjacent.

"In different circumstances indeed."

**~x~**

_It might have been nostalgia or a simmering curiosity to how the world of his knowledge had changed in the years since he had left the earth that he'd once called home. The night was beautiful in its youth; the moon hung full in a cloudless sky. The air was crisp and full of the quiet noises of nocturnal creatures. It could have been perhaps that stagnant beauty that drew him to the edifice that stared down at him where he stood next to the shimmering waters of a night blackened lake._

_Castelul Bran had kept him captive once, a few months of his mortal life gone. Before that it had been part of his domain but hardly a place he'd have referred to as home. It was a building of beauty but little tactical purpose. Not the home of a king or general._

_Still, something pulled him in and he found himself climbing the stone steps that led to the interior one by one. It was an unnecessarily slow method of travel but something of the night told him that it was befitting. And so he trod on, up the stair and through the entrance, into the lower courtyard. He took a few steps in, but stopped, still in the shadows, to watch the scene accentuated by the light of the moon._

_She was beautiful. The soft glow shone her hair silver as it tumbled unbound over her shoulders and away from her back where the weak wind that wound through the courtyard played with its soft tendrils. Her figure was all that a woman's should be with generous curves and lean expanses. Even her face seemed to be chiseled, as an artist would have created it, pale as alabaster marred only by the soft stain of pink at her lips and the twinkle of cerulean blue at her eyes._

_It was as if an oil painting had come to life there in the echoing silence of the night. The fair maiden held captive by the brutish monster, ravishing her of her innocence. And the creature who had latched onto her neck, drinking her life's blood, was truly the picture of a monster. A fool, too, for so brutally turning a fair creature like she into a monster like him in such a rough way. _

_The manner of turning often led to the loyalty of a fledgling and even from where he stood he could smell the purity of her blood._

**~x~**

His pace was measured as he walked the open passage way of the second floor. Light glowed dimly in the night, illuminating the snow that had begun to fall since his encounter with the vampire below. Humans so often made such a big deal of snow. Most, after the first encounter of a harsh white winter, began to hate the soft substance while others reveled in it their entire lives.

Seras had been one of those.

In the brief years after his return and between their confinements, she had often dragged him out into the powdery substance for playtime. Usually, in the end, it turned into a competition of who could harass the rank and file soldiers of the Hellsing Institute more or an all out war between the two parties with an excuse of a impromptu training exercise. Laughter filled the halls of the cold mansion on those days and echoed through the trees.

It was odd to think of it there, as his foot crossed each medieval stone, that that, too, was another thing he now missed since his waking. Her mood had always affected that of those around her, himself included. She was the light of their ever increasingly dark world. A light that was flickering and dying before being stolen completely. A light none of them could afford to lose.

It was in that moment, as he stepped through the stone doorway into the castle's interior, that he swore her return. Not only to the physical Hellsing Institute, but to their lives. Regardless of what it would take. In the meantime, however, he needed to rid the world of the man who dared to take her from him.

**~x~**

_"What do I do now?"_

_He looked down at her, innocent for all that blood smeared the purity of her pale skin. No longer a fledgling but a masterless creature of death, fresh in the roel given to her. For the first time in many long years, he felt a sense of pity._

_"It is your choice, really. You can go home to the family you once knew and create a new domain over them. You can travel the world as most of our kind has done. Or you can find yourself somewhere new."_

_She frowned slightly, looking down at her hands for a moment where they still acted to nervously wipe away the traces of blood from the recent death. The nervousness passed in a moment and he knew she was not a creature prone to indecision and fear._

_"Where will _you_ go?"_

_He smiled at her, a soft curve of his lip, before looking around the darkened walls of the castle that had once held him captive long before._

_"I was thinking it was time that I reclaim a little of my land for myself."_

_She nodded, hesitant for a second._

_"May I stay with you, Lord Draculea?"_

_A grin grew over his features. Many long nights had he spent free of the company a warm willing woman could offer. Many long years had he been only for himself. She was an admirable girl for all her youth. Perhaps she could be worthy._

_"Yes."_

**~x~**

There were signs of conflict everywhere in the rooms that surrounded the stairwell ascending from the lower floors. Scattered remains of ghouls littered the ground and bits of the floor and wall had been marred with weapon marks. Still, little of the blood smelled human and so he ignored the chaos for the most part, content in the evidence that the Hellsing elite squad was doing its job. Instead, he continued forward into the castle, crossing through one room until he came to the next.

The room that had always housed the king.

And there he stood.

The new King of Romania was a handsome man, Alucard could admit. His features spoke of the nobility of the nation's past and his clothes complimented his fine looks. He looked young, younger than any who would rule a country really should. None of his considerable age showed in his eyes as he turned to stare at the man who had come to kill him.

And, for a minute, as the seconds ticked slowly by, the two merely stared at each other.

**~x~**

_"Who was that whelp then?"_

_She jumped, still started at the way he suddenly would appear behind her. For a moment, she glanced at him over her shoulder before looking back at the figure retreating slowly from the castle._

_"You were watching then?"_

_"Only a fool would not know the goings on of everything in his domain, little Catalina."_

_She nodded, a sign of both acknowledgement and learning._

_"He is…was…a childhood playmate of mine. We…we always thought we'd spend our lives together."_

_"Do you love him then, little Catalina?"_

_"I think so. But now…he deserves a normal life."_

_He nodded._

_"You are sweet and caring, a trait not common among our kind."_

_He turned to leave before pausing and turning back to her._

_"Should you ever decide to go to him, Catalina, no one here will stop you."_

_**~x~**_

"Finally, he arrives. Former lord of the castle. All to save a damsel who really is in no distress."

"She was never in distress. Merely misplaced."

"Do you care so little for her then, Lord Draculea? Is she some lost possesion that you have come to reclaim? I notice you don't even bother to look for her but instead have sent your little minions to die."

Alucard shrugged. "I don't have any intention of explaining myself to an arrogant dog who is playing king of the anthill."

The fake dracula's eyes narrowed and he stepped towards, malice clear in his every movement.

"You can call _me_ arrogant after all that you have done? Do you have any idea who I am compared to the monster that you are?"

A smirk curved Alucard's lips. "And there is your arrogance. You expect me to remember you when you were nothing to remember at all."

"Do you remember _her_ then? Do you remember how you stole her from me? How you stole her life and then stole her from the home she had made with me?"

"What home?"

**~x~**

_"I expected you to be gone longer, little Catalina."_

_"I almost expected you to be gone completely from this place, my lord."_

_He shrugged negligently. "It has barely been more than a decade since I came to this place. What is the point of claiming a domain if you grow bored with it so quickly?"_

_She sighed as she stared down the well of the upper courtyard._

_"I thought I loved him so much. Yet now…."_

_"You spent ten years with him. That is no inconsiderably amount of time, Catalina. It is not a betrayal to say that you have grown apart."_

_"He…he just never grew into a man. He is the same now as he was as a boy. How can I keep him with me for all enternity when he will always act a child?"_

_She closed her eyes and they stood in silence before she turned and looked up at him._

_"May I stay here once more, my lord?"_

_He smirked._

_"Welcome home."_

**~x~**

"You took her from me! You seduced her! She was everything I wanted in life!" He stopped, eyes narrowed in hatred. "So I am returning the favor. You may try and win Seras back to you, but she sees you for who you are now. She may still have loyalty to that silly institution of yours but she will never go back to _you._"

Alucard shrugged. "Perhaps but you won't be around to find out."

Without giving the fake dracula time to react, he raised the Jackal and fired the massive weapon at the thin figure of the new Romanian king. The roar of exploding gunpowder echoed loudly in the room as the bullet lodged in Vladimir's chest leaving a gaping hole in its wake. He stumbled back cursing loudly in a mixture of languages before hitting the wall behind him and sinking through it.

Alucard looked at the wall for a moment before letting out an impatient sigh. Stepping forward, he followed, turning once past the solid wall to climb the well-hidden stairwell once used to thwart invaders. Even with his measured pace, by the time he crested the incline, his adversary was only just ducking into the next room. Blood splattered the floor and there were obvious signs of a fight barely finished in one of the nearby rooms but he ignored it all as he pursued his prey.

"You'll never have her back, Vlad Tepes! I stole her from you and turned her against you!"

Scoffing, Alucard entered the room where the fraud stood, brandishing a fierce looking handgun of his own. Eyeing it, he drew up short, stopping in the doorway.

"Ha! You did your research didn't you? You know what sort of power I posess in a single bullet. Are you afraid then, Lord Draculea? Are you afraid of one measly bullet?"

A grin grew on Alucard's face, slow at first until it turned into an expression of outright insanity.

"Tell me, foolish puppy, did you pay attention to your history lessons?"

Vladimir's eyes narrowed at the unexpected question.

"What do you mean?"

In a motion that seemed to take forever, Alucard swung his weapon to the side, slipping it so it hung delicately on one finger. As the fake watched, the heavy crafted metal inched its way off the bent finger before suddenly dropping to the floor. In direct contrast to the impossibly slow movements of its owner, the gun fell to the ground quickly. Yet, when it struck the polished wooden boards, instead of crashing loudly, the room exploded into pitch black as if ink had been poured over the walls, ceiling and floor.

**~x~**

_"He's weak."_

_"Yes, my lord, he is."_

_"If I had been in his place, I would have killed us both, bathed in our blood and taken this place for my own."_

_"If you were in his place, my lord, you wouldn't have needed to."_

_"Because I'm so irresistible?"_

_"Because, my lord, of you there are legends."_

_**~x~**_

Suddenly alone in the pitch black, Vladimir gripped his gun tightly, the metal cutting into his hand. Barely, he was able to keep himself from pointing his weapon wildly in the dark as he struggled, in vain, to locate where the other vampire had gone.

"Little dog, did they tell you, when you were young, of Vlad III?"

Wincing, Vladimir, swung his arm wildly, pointing his gun at the echoing voice.

"Of course they did. We were taught from an early age that you were a vicious bastard."

"I kept the peace."

The words echoed around the inky dark, sourceless.

"At a high cost," he muttered darkly.

Suddenly, a red eye opened in the dark, large and disturbing. Then another opened and another until he was surrounded by a room full of crazed eyes staring at him where he stood.

"Tell me then, what was one of the commandments of my rule, little Romanian child?"

A sinking feeling began to fill the pit of Vladimir's stomach as the soft words echoed through the room and his mind. Yet, before he could respond in anyway, a figure coalesced from the darkness, visible only by a pale face and hands extending from the shadows.

"Thou shalt not steal."

In an instant, the blackness was gone and Vladimir found himself flying backwards through one of the room's wide windows. Shattering glass broke the silence of the evening outside and as he fell, a scream was ripped from his throat, the sound morphing from fear into insane disbelief as he stared at the figure looking down at him. His body impacted the ground with a series of cracks and still yet he screamed for interminable seconds longer.

While he had stood in that realm of darkness, his Elizabeth had been killed and he had done nothing to stop it.

**~x~**

_Master!_

Alucard grinned madly before jumping down to the courtyard below where his prey lay broken on the snow dusted stones.

_Come, Seras. Enjoy the show._

"Stand up, little dog," he ordered, sneering at the figure at his feet. When the creature didn't move, he reached a long arm down and picked him up by the throat, holding high above the ground. "Weren't you going to destroy me, dog?"

With a flick of his wrist, he sent the figure flying across the enclosed space landing in a crumpled heap on the far side of the lower courtyard. Smirking, he took a short step forward before a sound on the open walkway above caught his attention. He turned his head slightly, finding the group of misfits clattering out of the castle to look down at him. In the front of the group stood his prize. Their eyes locked and for the first time in many long years, ruby eyes stared into blue and a faint blush of red colored her cheeks.

Gleeful laughter erupted from him as he turned away to once more focus on his prey. Behind him, he could hear the chaotic steps of his former fledgling and her human companions following his path on the raised pathway. Whether they were eager to reach him or merely witness the fight, he did not know. Part of him rather thought it was the later.

The thought had just formed complete in his mind when a shot rang out in the stillness, then another. A brief flash of light became the only clue of the source as bullets ripped into his flesh through the leather cloth that bound him. Fire erupted in his veins, flowing through them like blood until his entire body felt consumed, burning from the inside. For a moment, he was overcome and he staggered in his movements before another bullet imbedded into his skin sending him to his knees.

"You call me a dog," the fake Dracula rasped, still not completely healed from his earlier assault. "You are still an arrogant fool, Lord Draculea. You think the world is still as you left it before disappearing into the bowels of the Hellsing Institute more than two centuries ago. But it's not."

He shot again then once more. He continued firing until he lad emptied his entire clip into the now prone figure of the vampire lord. When Alucard stopped moving, eyes staring sightless into the night sky, Vladimir gave him a vicious kick to the side.

"You think you are so mighty and powerful. You believe you have a power over women and people. A king among men and vampires alike. But you…you are just a dog. A dog chained to an institute who destroys the very people who would worship you."

_Click._

"I guess that would make me a bitch then."

The sound of gunfire was muffled as the bullet escaped immediately into the hard matter of his skull. He stiffened, body falling forward before being roughly shoved to the side by the petite figure who stood behind. Scoffing slightly, she stepped closer to Alucard's still form and kneels beside his head. With aching tenderness, she reached a hand forward and touched a soft finger to his cheek, stroking the pale skin slightly.

_Master, wake up._

_Is this what you endured, my draculina, when he took you?_

She smiled softly. _Probably._

Intelligence came back to his eyes and they moved in his head to focus on her.

_For that alone, he will not meet his end simply. He shall be destroyed._

She laughed quietly as he melted into the stone beneath him before rising to her feet once more. The sound of a footstep drew her attention and she looked over to the gored face of Vladimir. She eyed him carefully before smirking.

"Your healing abilities suck."

"How dare you? You laugh at me and mock me when I have only tried to save you from that monster!"

She shrugged, the picture of nonchalance in the fine dress he provided for her.

"I don't want to be saved."

"Good answer."

A white hand formed from the night and ripped through the flesh of his back until the blooded mass dug through his chest. With a swift movement, the drenched red claw tore viciously, separating his arm from the whole of his body. Screaming, Vladimir turned to face his assailant.

"In the good days gone by, they used to use horses to draw and quarter criminals."

With a casual gesture, Alucard threw the severed arm over his head. It sailed silently through the air until falling into the open abyss of the famed well in the upper courtyard.

"I'll remind you once more, pitiful dog, that in this land, _my_ land, you do not steal." He grinned wickedly as the new king clutched at the open wound that was the remains of his left arm. "Especially not from me."

With a movement as quick as lightening, he shot off the other arm, grinning in sick satisfaction as it fell to the ground below.

"Damn you! This is my land! I have claimed it and made it my own!"

Vladimir's screams grew more frantic as Alucard stepped forward and reached down to take the arm from the ground and treat it in the same fashion as the other.

"You are weak, Vladimir, King of a false land. You are not worth the effort to destroy were it not for your arrogant display in taking from me what is mine."

"Fuck you!"

Alucard laughed, throwing his head back to make way for the deep throaty sound of his humor.

"Little one, if I might?"

"If you like," the amused voice returned from above where they stood and moments later a silver blade fell into Alucard's outstretched hand.

In a move smooth as liquid, the blade flashed through the night and blood sprayed in its wake. Raising the bloodied blade, the master vampire grinned at the frozen expression on his prey's face. The moment passed and the fraud toppled to the ground as his legs refused to hold his weight and separated completely from his torso.

Blood coated the stones that paved the courtyard and the softly falling snow turned crimson as it landed gently on the moaning yet living corpse. Twice more, Alucard disposed of the limbs he severed from his foe before leaning down and once more grasping Vladimir by the neck and holding him aloft. He turned on his heel and the world melted around him, reforming into the upper courtyard as he held the broken remains of his enemy over the opening to the ancient well.

"This will not kill me, Vlad Draculea," Vladimir gurgled in the moments before Alucard released his grip and sent him falling into the black depths.

"No," the master vampire agreed. "But this will."

Stepping aside, he let his former fledging step forward wielding her beloved weapon, the Harkkonen, stolen from the depths of the space between shadows. With glad purpose, she aimed its mass into the hole and fired, ducking aside in just enough time to avoid the fire that funneled upward.

For a full minute, the two vampires stared at the light that glowed in the shadow depths until it again faded into dark. Once it was completely gone, she turned to face her master and he faced her. A soft smile traced her lips as he drew a hand up to caress her cheek. Then, in a move unprecedented in all their actions together, she reached up on toe and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself to him in a gentle hug. Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around her and finished the embrace.

"Welcome home."

**~x~**

Aidan looked down the well with a humored frown.

"I guess we should follow the age old travelling advice and not drink the water."

"Aidan?"

"Yes, Irish Deviltry?"

"Shut up?"

He shrugged and continued in the group's quick survey of the damage. If any other vampires had resided in the castle, they had long fled in the gruesome slaughter of its ruler. Still it didn't hurt to check. Poking his head into the ancient chapel he frowned.

"Hey, Dismembering Devil? Did you kill someone in here?"

Alucard looked over from where he stood in the lower courtyard with his fellow vampire and Sakura.

"Define kill."

"Permanently put to rest?"

"No."

"What happened to the idiot who you went to kill?" Winter asked as she stepped down into the courtyard once more from the upper levels.

"I'm sure he disappeared somewhere."

"You didn't kill him?" Seras asked, confused. It was definitely a first for her master.

Alucard shrugged. Then, without saying anything, he turned and walked away, leaving the group to hurry quickly after. Silence muffled the echoing sound of the door to the grand entrance slamming shut and where only an hour before chaos had ruled, only gently falling snow remained.

* * *

AN: Well, that's it. That's the last actual chapter. There is a epilogue-chapter thing to follow up which should be up shortly since I spent a good bit more brain energy creating it vs. this monstrosity.

My beta's been reading it throughout and was somewhat disappointed with Nikolai's fight scene. So I hope that Vladimir's makes up for it. She said it did.

I also hope the flashbacks were not cumbersome. It was originally going to be a scene where Alucard was like "ha ha ha you're an idiot" but then I realized he wouldn't explain himself to anyone excepting perhaps Seras and Integra so.... Yeah.

Credit for the castle in this chapter and the last goes to the actual castle. After much searching I found the webpage for the caslte itself (Which, btw, does NOT show up on google because it's listed as a Romanian site) It's a pretty neat website. There are a few others I looked at as well to give me a good idea what was where and how things worked. The first website is www. brancastlemuseum. ro It has an English equivolent. Also, if you look at the more links on the Wikipedia entry for Bran Castle, there are some nifty pictures. It's a pretty place.

Thanks again for all the lovely reviews. To all of you who have been here since the beginning and all of you wonderful new people who have sent me awesome reviews on the story as a whole. You make me happy ^_^

Til next time!


	11. ‘sound of pulling heaven down’

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Seras Victoria, Alucard or the Hellsing Institute nor any story derived from the original manga by Kouta-sensei. I do however own everyone else. Mostly.

**Extended Dedication:** My parents have long made jeers at me for spending time on something as 'useless' and 'unprofitable' as fanfiction. While I have told them time and again that it has helped me to an indescribable amount to refine my writing, they still dismissed it as a waste of time an energy. Until this story.

At one point, I looked up the stats on the traffic page and was able to tell my parent's that people were reading this story from over 50 countries. It would take writing the next Harry Potter to get that sort of widespread publication in 'legitimate' means.

So thank you for helping me prove to my parents that fanfiction is just as worthwhile as any other creative excercise. After six years, it's nice to shut them up.

And again, thanks to all my wonderful reviewers. There aren't enough words.

**Note:** Oh just look at the end. I don't shut up.

.

**~x~**

'**sound of pulling heaven down'**

**~x~**

Engines squealed, rapidly cooling as the small aircraft lowered into the cleared area of the Hellsing Institute. Even though the moon was high in the sky and the night was edging close to day, the entirety of the troops stood in neat lines to watch the aircraft come to its careful landing. At their head stood Sir Elliot Walter O'Hara Hellsing, a line of worry marring the space between his eyebrows.

The high pitch of the engines faded and the paneled door slid open. A shadow moved in its unlit cabin and then, with characteristic nimble grace, Wynne Tera Shannon alighted from the craft. She spared only enough time to send a reassuring smile to Elliot before turning to reach back into the craft.

The moment her boots had hit the ground, the Hellsing troops had gladly saluted the returning members of their Institute. The signal of respect, however, soon began to break as Ethan Williams jumped quickly down, facing the interior of the aircraft as well. Moments later, dirt marred boots bound to a stretcher emerged into view. The two quickly caught hold of the old-fashioned stretcher and took a few careful steps back. They moved slowly to redistribute the weight as Sakura Tenjou slowly worked herself to the ground while holding up the stretcher near the still figure's head. Silently, the three worked to set the wheels in place, locking the bars to prevent collapse.

Grim silence bore down on the assembled troops as they watched until an exasperated sigh broke through the tense atmosphere.

"Is this _really_ necessary? You bastards made me walk down from the castle to this stupid airlift. I'm fairly sure I could make it to medical in one piece without being tied down to this stupid thing."

Winter grinned down at him and Aidan Fitzpatrick groaned.

"You think we'd miss the chance to tie you up and leave you merciless to the doctors? Besides, you are too much of a pansy when it comes to needles and being sewn up."

"I hate all of you."

"I'm sure, if necessary, I could…assist you," a dark voice chuckled as another figure gracefully emerged from the craft.

"No thanks, Ancient Evil, I'd like to live a while longer."

Alucard shrugged his indifference as he reached his hand back into the cabin. A shadow moved inside before snowy white cloth spilled over the edge of the craft, glowing softly in the moonlight. The figure took another short step before pausing and a soft groan of frustration could be heard by those standing closest. With a quick grin, Alucard turned, reaching into the cabin and plucking the figure from her feet and placing her swiftly on the ground.

There was brief silence as the assembled troops struggled to recognize the petite figure with blonde hair down to her waist and a truly feminine dress made in the fashion of centuries past. Her shining blue eyes held hesitation and she struggled to meet the gaze of those around her, letting her eyes fall to the ground in the end as a soft blush crept up on her cheeks. Then….

"Seras!"

Elliot strode forward, grin wide on his face, and pulled her to him in a relieved hug. He let go of her only to grab her at the waist and, in a spurt of boyish exuberance, picked her up and twirled her in a quick circle.

"Stop it, Master Elliot," she laughed, gripping his shoulders for balance.

The sight stunned the assembled troops used to a stoic draculina and serious leader and the last remnants of a respectful salute died away as the soldiers broke into grins and slight applause. All were relieved at the successful retrieval of their draculina, their symbol and the flag they fought under.

"We don't even get a hello and he twirls her in circles," Winter groused with a grin. "We know our place now don't we folks?"

Setting Seras carefully back on her feet, Elliot turned to the rest of the returning team.

"Good job. I'm glad to see that Aidan is the only one who suffered serious injuries."

"Gee, thanks."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Yes, sir!"

He shook hands with both Ethan and Sakura before looking Aidan over.

"What's the damage?"

"These sickos just wanted to tie me up, Sir Elliot. I'm fine."

Elliot nodded with a grin, turning away to look at Winter who was trying to glower at him unsuccessfully. In a move faster than anyone thought he could make, he caught hold of her wrist and pulled her hard against his chest. Before she could do much more than squeak in surprise, he cupped the back of her head and captured her lips in a long impassioned kiss.

Loud applause rang out in the night followed quickly with catcalls and well meant jeering as the well-beloved couple continued to embrace. Aidan began laughing hard enough to upset his wound again and Sakura and Ethan quietly excused themselves to wheel him to the infirmary. Taking it for a signal, most of the soldiers began to disperse as well, some settling up long standing bets, good mood alight in the air.

"Well," Alucard observed in a quiet draw to Seras as the two also began to make their exit, "the next Hellsing heir should be interesting."

"Yes, she should, Master."

"You called, Sir Elliot?"

"I believe, Seras, that you owe me a game of chess."

"Yes, master, I believe I do."

"You've changed a lot, you know," Winter commented one day as she and Seras watched over the latest mission with the newest recruits.

"Actually, Alucard would probably tell you that I've changed very little since I've first known him. Integra always said that I could live to be a thousand and would still probably remain as innocent as the day she first met me."

Winter laughed. "You do blush easily."

Seras shrugged. "With Alucard around, who wouldn't?"

"Still, you've changed since I've met you. For the better."

"I'm glad you think so, Winter."

There was a companionable silence for a few minutes until one of the new recruits nearly shot one of his companions in the back for the fifth time. With a low growl, Seras disappeared from beside her companion, reforming behind the disgraced soldier, and proceeded to barehanded take out the fifteen remaining ghouls in a matter of seconds.

Winter grinned sympathetically as she watched the horrified recruits back away from the blood-covered draculina quickly as she turned to yell at the recruit that had drawn her attention in the first place.

"Still scary as all hell though."

"Do you ever regret becoming what you are, Master?"

Alucard looked down at Seras where she knelt beside an aging tombstone, flowers still held loosely in her hand. He looked away as he considered the question, gaze roaming over the steady repairs Elliot and Winter Hellsing had started making on the ancestral home of the Hellsing family. In the distance, he could hear the two arguing cheerfully about whether the pregnant woman should be allowed near the workers.

A soft smile curved his lips as he looked down at his companion who was now looking up at him.

"Sometimes."

She nodded, seeming to understand enough to not inquire further.

"Do you, still, police-girl?"

She fingered her hair unconsciously, kept long, she once told him, in honor of Integra, before nodding.

"Not for any of the reasons I used to regret, though," she elaborated, looking down at the grave of her long deceased friend.

"Oh?"

She stood up, brushing off her stockings before turning to him with a sad smile.

"It's when I think that they, too, will die one day," she answered, gesturing in the general direction of the arguing couple. "And so will their daughter and one day her child."

He nodded sagely, following her when she turned from the small graveyard and began walking towards the reconstruction.

"Do you think there are any vampires left out there strong enough to kill us, Master?"

"It is the men who kill the monsters, my draculina."

"And while we work for the men, they won't kill us. So," she repeated, smiling wryly, "do you think there are any vampires left who could kill us?"

"Honestly, no," he replied flatly, shrugging slightly at her amused expression.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Seras stopped, eyes fixed on the humans that controlled them. Her eyes fixed on the building stomach of the young woman and the grin on the man's face.

"How do you cope with eternity, Alucard? Is it a life sentenced to either continual loss or closing yourself off from everyone who might touch your soul? Is there a way to survive without going completely mad?"

"I'm sure Integra would question you asking me of all people."

"Master."

He grinned at her exasperation and pat her fondly on the head before continuing on towards the now quiet couple in the distance.

"It's simple, Seras. You find someone to spend eternity with you."

"Is that what you did?" she asked, curiosity in her voice as she followed him.

He paused for a moment and looked at her over his shoulder, a wry grin and amused look his only answer.

She stopped again, blushing fiercely.

"Oh."

"Once upon a time, there was a wonderful place where knights gathered together, united in a single purpose."

"To find the Holy Grail?"

"Wrong story, kid. Pipe down."

"Sorry."

"Anyway, one day, the Queen of the Knights used a magical chain to bind a great and powerful sorceress to the knights, to help them always in their quest. For many long years, the sorceress worked with the Queen and the land became prosperous and free of demons. Then, one day, the sorceress master, an evil demon, returned."

"I should probably resent that comment."

"Anyway, together, the demon lord and the sorceress worked with the knights, their life unnaturally long due to the spell placed on them until one day the Queen's son put them under a magic spell and they slept for many years."

"Did someone have to kiss them to wake them up?"

"Thankfully no. Instead a brave knight, descendant of the great Queen, woke them from their sleep and asked that they help him again. They agreed and time passed as they fought for the knights once more. Then, one day, a crazy psychopath with an obsessive nature decided he wanted the sorceress."

"Daddy, what's a psychopath?"

"Don't worry dear. You are surrounded by them. You'll find out soon enough."

"Okay."

"Anyway, since he wanted her so much, he stole her from the great kingdom of the Knights and brought her to his scary castle. The brave leader of the knights sent his best knights and the demon lord after her. Once they got there they fought many foes until at last only one remained. There the demon lord conquered the psycho that had stolen his sorceress."

"What does conquered mean?"

"In this case it means tearing each of his limbs off, throwing them down a well and setting it on fire."

"Aidan!"

The room as a while jumped and turned to look at the three women standing in the doorway. Unabashed, the storyteller grinned, standing up to peck his wife on the cheek briefly before turning to his cousin who was still glaring at him admonishingly.

"What?"

"That is hardly an appropriate bedtime story for three children aged six, three and two. What if you give them nightmares?"

Aidan gave her an exasperated look before gesturing to the seated children. The red haired girl, oldest of the lot, was grinning with anticipation while the younger blonde girl seemed content with the attention. If the youngest, a black haired boy, had any thoughts of fear they were washed away at seeing his mother standing in the doorway.

Winter sighed, rolling her eyes at the unspoken point while Seras stepped forward and picked up her son, frowning slightly at Alucard who sat cheerily in the corner.

"You got Michael out of bed early for this nonsense?"

He shrugged. "It's his job to bond with his future master."

She rolled her eyes and turned away. "Hope, sweetheart?"

"Yes, Auntie Seras?"  
"Hit your pet vampire will you?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Alucard stood on the roof of the restored Hellsing Manor. It was a beautiful night, the sort of night meant for doing enjoyable things. A night where fate was likely to take a hand and change the inhabitants of the earth below. Yet, the night air was still. It had been sometime since there had been a serious problem with freaks or ghouls and the only sounds that echoed through the compound were the well-organized drills of the training soldiers.

A part of him was restless, aching for some sort of activity. He was a predator and his natural role was that of seeking prey. He needed the chase, the hunt, the kill. But the world was changing and something in him told him that soon the hunts that he had enjoyed in the years past would cease to exist. Soon the vermin of the night would be standard and soon all creatures of the night would either be accepted or learn to coexist with the human race quietly.

He would soon be a hunter without prey.

Heaving a deep sigh, he sank through the mass of the building and reformed outside of the office of the Hellsing leader, ready to ask, yet again, what destruction he could wreak. Before he could enter, however, a loud shriek of laughter resounded down the hallways followed quickly by the stomp of feet. He had barely turned to look when a storm of children ran past.

Before he could ask himself or anyone else why the terrifying threesome were running in the halls at one o'clock in the morning, a petite blonde quickly followed, grin on her young features. A few steps past where he stood watching, she came to a halt and turned to grin at him.

Stepping up to him, she pulled his head down for a quick searing kiss, careful to press her body against his sensually, before breaking away with an expression of pure mischief. Tapping him lightly on the shoulder, she turned and ran down the hallway.

"Tag your it!"

For a moment, he could only stare, amazed, at the retreating figure of his draculina. Then a grin broke out on his face and a low chuckle sounded from his throat before he turned to slowly follow.

Perhaps, it was a night for a different sort of prey.

AN: It's done! Weird. I NEVER finish stories this quickly. The last story I finished that was an actual project I started in like 2005 and didn't finish until like Sept. 09.

I have to say this is probably the story I am the most proud of in my entire collection of works (original and fanfiction). I think it was largely made possible due to the awesome reviews and constructive criticism I received from all of you. As broken record as it may sound, it was a bit of happiness every time I checked my email and saw a review. Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to review every chapter. I hope the ending has satisfied you.

This actually started out as a project to refine my ability to write dark and psychological fiction. That failed miserably I think. In the end, it became dedicated to writing a story I thought you, the reader, would enjoy. I tried to take every suggestion given (including those of my Beta and Paul my not-beta) and turn this story in a direction people would enjoy. I hope I succeeded. I also hope my dark sense of humor didn't throw anyone too far off.

On a separate note, I have already started working on a series of one-shots to accompany this. There will be more detailed background on all the major characters as well as missing scenes that I wanted to write but didn't due to story flow and extras that fill in the gaps that this chapter left (including that whole Alucard/Seras kid thing...). I hope anyone interested will please take a chance on these and make requests for anything they'd like to see. I'm not planning to put them in a sequential or chronological order so...yeah.

Thank you once again for your time. I hope it was worthwhile. There will be another full story in this universe, a long way into the future, but that may not crop up for some time.

Blah blah blah, who's still reading at this point anyway?

All the love in the world!

Til next time!

PS. Anyone who actually looked up the song lyrics for the chapter titles (which were supposed to be a reflection of what was going on in Seras' head during each chapter, btw) and liked what they saw/heard they are all Blue October, as I mentioned previously. Most of the songs are from their album _Foiled_ but if anyone asks, I can point you to their other CD's and any of their more cheerful music (they do have some). Doubt anybody paid that much attention but ...additional disclaimer?

[EDIT: I went through and put the formatting back into the story after the site deleted it. I also fixed the remaining typos and such as well as shifted a few things around a bit to and RetCon and smooth out a fe scenes…so if you are REreading this (bless you) that is why some things may seem different.]


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